Can We Just Talk About the Groom? – Belize Wedding Photography
It’s time that we introduce you to the stars of our latest Belize wedding photography blog. They were as wonderful to work with as they are to enjoy looking at in photos, so we felt that we should share the love.
If you’ve read our blog before, you’ll know that when we are lucky enough to work with a bride that is this photogenic and naturally beautiful, we tend to focus on her. The groom is only a guy in a suit after all. Who wants to see lots of photos of him?
Well, we sort of have a crush on this dapper fellow and love his sense of style, so you’ll be seeing a lot more of him.
Oh, did we happen to mention the rest of the guys? *swoon*
So, let’s get this party started!
Well, the shots weren’t appreciated quite as much by everyone, but never mind. There were more important things to attend to in the bridal quarters.
That dress isn’t going to walk down the aisle on its own. 
We’re not sure how many words we can come up for how exquisite this bride truly was.
She also had the most attentive and adorable bridesmaids ever.
With THAT veil in place and the Caribbean Sea, along with her loved ones and the love of her life waiting, she was ready to go.
This is when it gets real for the bride…
…and even realer for the groom. Look at his face. How sweet is he? We’ll just take a minute to swoon again now.
In front of their friends and family, under a heavenly blue sky dotted with cotton fluff clouds and just the hint of white caps breaking over the barrier reef in the distance, Belize gifted them with a perfect wedding.
Sealed with the required kiss.
Even though they look like they don’t quite believe it yet, they did, in fact, get well and truly hitched. Congratulations!
Time to celebrate some female power.
Also time to celebrate lovely men with cute smiles.
Now we get to the pretty photos of our couple bringing a bit of their unique glamour to the shores of Ambergris Caye.
As dutiful wedding photographers do, we found them romantic locations for photos that will hold memories of this special day for a lifetime.
Abandoned ruins of what was once the home of a doomsday cult, (we kid you not) provide a moody scene.
When a bride makes the effort to wear a veil like this, it always has to have at least a starring role in one image. We love veils and are always thrilled when a bride has one, especially as phenomenal as this one was.
Ultimately though, these two don’t really need a stage, a fancy veil or anything else. They just totally rock their wedding outfits.
But just in case you hadn’t had enough of this groom and his entourage, we will leave you with this.
All we can say is that when grooms and their groomsmen show this much respect for the occasion by putting as much effort into looking good as the bride and her bridesmaids do, they deserve a little bit of recognition.
This stylish and very cool wedding was hosted and organised by Coco Beach Resort.
Picture Perfect – Belize Weddings
Who doesn’t want to look picture perfect on their wedding day? For so many brides and grooms, making that special effort for such a important and memorable event, is part of the ritual. Everyone hopes that the person to whom they are committing to for life will look at them, while they exchange vows, and think ‘Wow! How did I get so lucky?’ And we believe that’s how it should be. It also helps us to create beautiful pictures. As wedding photographers in Belize, that’s our job and we’re so grateful when couples make our job easier.
The ritual tends to be different for the brides and grooms. Brides usually have a professional to help them.
Grooms, on the other hand, have to make themselves look good all on their own.
The bride has an expert to apply the finishing touches and tell her she looks beautiful.
The groom has a mirror.
The thing is that when they finally see each other and they truly do look picture perfect…
…that’s when the magic begins.
No matter who you are – even if you’re a wedding photographer, who has worked on hundreds of weddings – you can’t help but feel moved by the emotions and shared love between two people on their wedding day.
When they are this happy and they are in Belize, one of the most beautiful places on earth, it doesn’t matter whether the picture is …
…on the dock…
…or on the beach…
…in lush tropical gardens…
…or in a quirky window…
…it’s always going to be picture perfect.
This picture perfect wedding was planned and hosted by the wonderful Matachica Resort
Where Love Sparkles – Belize Weddings
It’s rare that a wedding gives us a blogging dilemma, but this one certainly did. It was just so adorable and every single photo made us smile. Of course, what’s the point of blogging if we can’t share all of those incredible moments with you? So, we were left with two burning questions: 1. How are we going to narrow it down to a reasonable number of photos? and 2. What photo do we start with? Well, jumping photos have always been popular. They are symbolic, fun and, when done in Belize, super duper scenic. But this jumping photo had that ‘x’ factor. Not sure what it is, but they definitely looked like they were about to fly off into the horizon, hand in hand – and so, this is how we’re starting our blog today.
The rest of the blog will be easy as we’re just going to take you through the day so that you can experience it like we did. We know you’ll definitely have as much fun as we did, but possibly not as much as the bride and groom. We’ll start off with some mellow photos of the details first, because they were pretty exceptional.
When you ask for a bouquet with tropical colours, this has got to be what you’re thinking of. Simply stunning. What you don’t expect is that they’ll make you insatiably hungry. Yes. You read that correctly. All we can say is to read on and you’ll see what we mean.
Technology is changing so many things and we all remember that awkward moment someone tried to hold up a mirror behind us so that we could see what the back of our head looked like. Well, that doesn’t have to happen anymore. Did we mention the details were fabulous at this wedding and exceptionally sparkly?
Here’s our gorgeous bride. Just wait til you see that dress properly. Wow!
Grooms don’t look quite as good as brides in silhouette but he certainly looks dapper.
Remember what we were saying about details. Well, our lovely readers, this is Belize. You know, like the shape of the entire country and…we’re not sure exactly what they’ve made it out of. It sort of looks like Licorice Allsorts. Whatever it is, it’s outrageously adorable and they’ve even made the cayes. You can see Ambergris Caye, which is where they got married, and some of the others. Crazy imaginative details.
Oh wow. It’s that time already. Did someone paint this? Could it be more perfect?
Oh for goodness sake. The bride even had beautiful feet and barefoot sandals. Seriously. It can’t be this lovely and then they have a great time too – or can it?
And there you have it. Oh yes. As well as being gorgeous, having the most amazing details and a dream beach setting on the Caribbean, they had to just have the best time of their lives doing it. Did we mention this is Belize? Yeah, we must admit…this sort of thing does seem to happen here. Maybe it’s the salty seaside air, the hot sun or possibly the rum. Hmmm.
We promise. These are real people. Not actors. They also happened to be two very lovely people and you’re going to get to share a little of our private time with them. But first we need to get the nuptials over with.
Here, we present you with the walk down the aisle, with the waves breaking over the Mesoamerian reef in the background and the little clouds so fluffy they look like cotton.
Then it’s the legal stuff. Never has signing a piece of paper looked quite so much fun.
Of course, before we head off for some photography with just the couple, we have the requisite group shot. This was a very very naughty group.
That’s because they were hungry and thirsty. This is what was awaiting while the couple had their own personal shoot with us.
And this!
That dress. OMG. We had to just indulge ourselves with one photo of this amazing bride and one of our favourite dresses ever.
So now we’ll show you some of the two of them together. We’d just like to point out that when the groom makes an effort to look as good as the bride (OK, maybe not as good…but hey, she looked really, really good) on their special day, it really shows and we love it.
Whether they are walking along the beach, hand in hand – just relaxing…
…or when he’s inside the mouth of a whale, while she’s riding on top of it. What!? Yes, you’d be surprised at some of the cute and mysterious things you’ll find in San Pedro.
Whether he’s making her smile in just that way that makes you wonder what he might have just whispered into her ear or…
…maybe he just reminded her about the food waiting back at the reception because she’s looking hungry.
Just in case she’s getting too weak from the hunger, he happily gives her a piggy back ride.
But suddenly, it seems the hunger has overwhelmed him too. This is always when the photographer needs to step in…
They need some refreshments to help them keep up their strength for that one last shot. You know? The one that every couple dreams of when they get married in the Caribbean.
Yep. That’s the one alright!
It’s time to head back to the party with all their loved ones. And what a party it is! Before the night was out though – they had one very important message they wanted to share.
Because they truly …
(how could they not?)
We think this sums it all up. True love in Belize always sparkles.
Big thanks to the wonderful team at the fabulous Coco Beach Resort for organising and hosting this fun and love filled day
A Tale of Two Dresses and One Temple – Belize Wedding
Belize used to be hailed as ‘Mother Nature’s Best Kept Secret’ and in some ways it still is, but it’s becoming one of those uniquely desirable destinations for weddings. That’s because you can do things in Belize that you simply can’t do anywhere else. Belize is still mostly covered by jungle, a young country with a wild heart. There truly is no place like Belize and for that we are grateful. This begs the question from some, who contact us about having an adventure, a once in a lifetime experience of a wedding in Belize – is it safe?
Well, see that ledge right there? The one with no railing? Yep, that’s the one. It’s 130′ straight down from there. And if that doesn’t get your blood pumping, then we’ll just make sure you feel absolutely reassured.
You’ll have these handsome fellows right there to make sure nothing happens. Our clients get the very best Belize has to offer.
So, to help you decide if you have a true desire for something different, a taste for something ancient and exotic and a spirit for an audacious wedding that will span centuries, cultures and countries, we’re going to invite you to join us as a our guest for one of these special celebrations.
The couple were lucky enough to have family members to help. When we say this is an adventure, we’re not kidding. See that sign – Xunantunich 1 mile? That’s where we are heading. You may notice something else. There is a white bundle and a red bundle. Well, this couple knew that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and they were going to make the most of it. That’s why this is a tale of two dresses. Get ready for the romantic adventure to commence.
This is how you get to the site. This is a hand cranked ferry. By ‘hand cranked’ we mean that a man actually cranks the wheel that pulls the ferry across the river. All aboard!
Fortunately, there are some very spacious changing facilities at Xunantunich, which we should mention is a 1400 year old Maya archaeological site. The changing rooms are not quite that old.
The spectacular white dress is topped with a stunning necklace. Everything looks so traditional…
…until you see where the bride and groom are about to be joined in marriage.
Unconventional? Perhaps. Stunning, glorious, awe inspiring and unforgettable? Without a doubt.
And while exchanging rings is something we’re used to seeing at most weddings…
…this is not your typical wedding portrait.
Enter, the red dress. Now it’s time for the drama to commence and there can be no more dramatic background.
Where Belize and Guatemala meet, somewhere in the rain forest and mountains.
Where you can climb an ancient temple, decorated with ancient tales about the birth of gods and the ‘tree of life’.
Where you can explore entrances to what was once a ceremonial centre for around 200,000 Maya people.
Where you can look down upon a ball court where those who lost the ritual game, also lost their lives.
Where you’ll look at each other at the end of one of the most breathtakingly, mind-blowing days of your lives and know that you shared this experience that will bind you together forever.
Special thanks to Chaa Creek for organising this magnificent marriage
The Perfect Match – Destination Belize Wedding
We do a lot of wedding photography in Belize, but there is always a first time for everything. This was our first ‘footie’ wedding. For our USA friends, we are talking about ‘soccer’ of course. The game, where a ball is kicked with the foot. As we’re sure you can see, our groom LOVED football. Our very patient bride, not so much. So, sticking to our football theme, let’s see how our teams pan out.
The bride was well prepared with her best kit for the wedding. Were Manolo Blahnik sponsoring her team? This isn’t fantasy football, but that ups the ante to a dream team for the bride.
She made sure to have her best game face on for the day.
She seemed to be planning tactics well in advance.
The groom, not about to let his side down, worked on setting up distractions.
It didn’t take long before he scores!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The players get to relax a little at half time.
Then they grab a little refreshment before getting back into the game.
The bride lines up nicely…
…and it’s a perfect goal. Right down the centre. The groom didn’t stand a chance. That Manolo Blahnik sponsorship truly paid off.
It’s not long though before the groom recovers with a great score. Two-one to the groom at this stage. They are both such strong teams, who knows how this will end.
The groom noses in for another sneaky shot.
But he appears to have gone offside.
The groom is relentless. He tries again, coming up behind while her defenses are low…
…but at the very last minute, the bride scores a perfect goal right between the posts! What an exciting match. A match made in heaven for sure. We officially call this one a draw. Congratulations to our couple, who were great sports!
This footballtastic wedding was organised and hosted by the high scoring Matachica Resort.
Til Death Do Us Part – Cowgirl Glam in the Tropics – Belize Wedding – Trash the Dress
Public Health Warning! – This is a Trash the Dress blog like no other we have done. We highly suggest that you make sure you’re snug in your saddle and ready for a romantic, playful, naughty and wild ride. And now we shall begin.
Those of you familiar with Conch Creative’s wedding photography know that we specialise in Trash the Dress sessions. This is our chance to work with couples, collaborate and create beautiful pieces that they will treasure for years to come. This cowgirl themed Trash the Dress started like most others. Beautiful romantic poses in a tropical setting.
A little bit of playful fun…
…and of course some sexy romping.
We should have realised that something was up when we saw our cowgirl’s garter. But nothing could have prepared us for the story we are about to share with you.
After sending the groom off to get some drinks, while we did some beautiful bridal portraits, our cowgirl bride told us in no uncertain terms that it was time for a little refreshment break.
Always obliging we found a shady spot at the end of a dock. Our cowgirl had brought along her own bottle and, politely, offered to share. We explained that it’s important for photographers to stay in focus but that we’d hang around and take a few more photos while she waited for her groom.
Fifteen minutes later, we knew that something memorable was about to happen and we weren’t about to stop shooting (by shooting we mean with a camera!) until the rodeo was over.
The groom returned with a couple of bottles of Belikin Beer and for a moment, we were lulled into a false sense of security, thinking everything had returned to normal. How could we predict the drama that was to unfold?
As the groom swept her up in his arms for a kiss, she was already plotting.
We heard her whisper in his ear (she did whisper loudly) , ‘Now that we’re legal, you’re mine cowboy and don’t you forget it!’ and then she started marching him up the beach.
We were stunned when she stopped suddenly and said ‘Turn around big boy and strip!’. Conch Creative have never done a nude cowboy shoot before, but we were game for anything at this stage and of course we must admit that we cheered him on as he started to unbutton his shirt.
But like all good Westerns the stories lead you down long and twisty canyon trails and you never know what’s around the next turn. Suddenly our groom got a bit feisty.
Before you could say ‘ride ’em cowboy’. He’d taken the situation in hand and the tables had turned.
It was all we could do not to cover our eyes and blush when the scene in front of us took on a life of its very own.
Our final observation is that the old cowboy saying ‘He’s all hat and no cattle.’ Certainly did not apply in this instance.
This will go down in history as one hell of a ‘rootin’ tootin’ Trash the Dress experience for Conch Creative.
Boots & Brides in Belize
Where has the time gone? Have you missed us? Well don’t worry, we’re back and we’ve got lots of gorgeous, cute, adorable, funny and fabulous weddings to share with you. Sometimes we just get so busy, we can’t find the time to blog. So, get comfortable as this is the first in a series of blogs we’ll be doing leading up to 2012!
Cowboys! You have got to love them. Even in Belize, they keep their boots on.
….and they are so darned romantic.
Did you know that all of the docks and beaches are public in Belize? This means you can just kick back and relax wherever you fancy, especially in your high heels. We’re used to barefoot weddings, so we very much appreciated having some different footwear to photograph.
In Belize, there is a reason for having a rest on the docks…it gives you the energy to play!
Then you can get a bit frisky. Cowboys are apparently notorious for being frisky.
As wedding photographers in Belize, we’ve seen a lot of couples and one thing we’ve learned is that laughter is the secret to true love.
Being adorable helps too! So smile, love, laugh, be happy….and if you’re a cowboy, bring your boots!
We’d like to thank ‘I DO’ Belize Weddings for hosting this beautiful wedding with this wonderful couple at Las Terrazas Resort on Ambergris Caye.
Love Lives in Belize ❤
“Love recognises no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” – Maya Angelou
In this case the destination is ‘La Isla Bonita’, otherwise known as Ambergris Caye, a small but perfectly formed island off the coast of Belize.
As destination wedding photographers in the beautiful country of Belize, Conch Creative knows exactly why people who fall in love want to come to Belize and why they fall in love with Belize while they are here. It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful setting for an intimate Caribbean beach wedding.
Whether you want to be pampered at a luxurious resort or…
…you’re looking for the quiet tropical island experience, Ambergris Caye (sometimes also known by San Pedro, the name of the only town on the island) has it all.
There are natural beaches where you’ll hardly see anyone except for the sea birds, sting rays, crabs, fish and the occasional dolphin.
Palm trees – so many palm trees. Even palm trees that grow horizontally.
You’ll find long docks that you can explore reaching right out over the Caribbean Sea towards our barrier reef. Did you know that in Belize the beaches and docks are all public? There aren’t many places left in the world like that, where you can explore and enjoy the scenery to your heart’s content.
And finally, we mustn’t forget lions. Lions? Ok, we have to admit – Belize does not have lions. Not real ones.
So, remember! Belize has everything you could possibly want for a destination wedding ……except lions.
Now is the time for our thank yous. A big thank you to the beautiful Belizean Shores Resort for hosting this wonderful wedding.
A Gal & a Guitar – Gettin’ Hitched in Belize
Conch Creative loves destination weddings in Belize. People who choose to marry in Belize tend to be people who like to step outside of ‘the box’ and like to do things just a little bit differently – and definitely their own way. This makes every wedding unique and often very entertaining for us. We’re going to share one of our recent favourites with you so that you can experience a true intimate and fun, barefoot wedding in Belize.
As we’re sure you’ve figured – both the ‘gal’ and the guitar feature heavily in this blog. Before the ceremony, our lovely and very romantic groom serenaded his bride to be. It was beyond sweet and you could tell how much she adored him.
Many couples choose Belize because they don’t want all of the fuss and stress associated with a traditional wedding. This is a perfect example of how simplicity can be so special. Marrying in a heart made from flowers and conch shells on a tranquil beach, overlooking the Caribbean Sea is perfectly divine.
Having your new husband and the man you love sing romantic love songs to you in the heart of flowers, overlooking the Caribbean Sea as you delicately drink wine is beyond divine – it’s sublime.
Whoops…scratch the bit about ‘delicately drinking wine’…..woohoo – now things are going to get lively it seems. Let’s see how this blog turns out, shall we?
We thought it was time for a quiet walk down the beach. Honestly, how many places are there in the world where you can have beaches like this virtually all to yourselves?
Time to catch a quick breath before the fun begins.
Did we mention it was hot that day?
..and it seemed to just get a bit warmer by the minute.
You really have to wonder just how much fun two adults can have with a bit of water…
..it seems that the possibilities of having fun in water, following a wedding, fully clothed are quite limitless. There’s no point in coming to Belize to have a fabulous wedding on a stunning beach in a tropical setting and not making the absolute most of it. As well as producing beautiful photographs, Conch Creative aims to help all of our wedding couples have fun.
There comes a time (usually sunset), when wedding photographers quietly fade into the darkness and leave the couple to enjoy their time together. We have no doubt that the assistance of Conch Creative was not required for the continuing fun.
We hope you enjoyed our most recent blog as much as we enjoyed making it. Of course, you can always join in the fun by becoming part of our Conch Creative community on Facebook. It’s easy – just click this Link.
If you’re wondering where that fantastic wedding was held, well as always we’re proud to have worked with the quite fantabulous Coco Beach Resort.
We’ll be blogging again soon and would love to hear from you. Would you rather see brides or bikinis?
Wet Weddings
As you can probably see from recent blogs, Conch Creative works with a lot of couples who like unique and different wedding photography. Maybe it’s something to do with Belize – after all, couples are planning to travel thousands of miles to marry in this beautiful country. Whatever the reason, we’re grateful because we get the opportunity to work with people who are often creative, always great fun and who have chosen us because they know that Conch Creative is one hundred percent committed to providing not just an enjoyable and entertaining wedding photography experience but also because they know that they’ll never look better than they do through Conch Creative’s lenses.
This adorable couple were serious divers and had come to Ambergris Caye with a diving group to get married at Xanadu Island Resort. They wanted to get wet and of course, Conch Creative obliged.
We managed to keep them out of the water just long enough for them to get legal and have one or two snaps taken.
It seems that the romance just becomes even more intense once the couples get into the water…..
…and so do the giggles.
Sometimes giggling is the only option..but there really is no better way to spend a wedding day full of fun, love, laughs and plenty of memories.
After all water, romance and giggling – we thought it was time to share something a little bit different. Those who know Conch Creative, also know that we don’t just do weddings.
If you’d like to find out more about Conch Creative, please check out our Facebook page where we can chat to you, you can leave us your comments and you get sneak peaks of all of our newest work. Conch Creative Facebook Page Link
Mucho thanks to the beautiful Xanadu Island Resort for hosting the wonderful wedding featured in this blog.
Look out for more from Conch Creative soon! Thanks so much for reading our blog.
Crazy in Love
If you follow our blog, you’ll know that we love fun and unconventional weddings. We have been very much looking forward to blogging this particular wedding as we laughed so hard throughout the day that we came back with our cheeks aching. This was a couple who were crazy in love and that craziness was definitely a feature of their romantic beach wedding on Ambergris Caye. So, please join us for Sean and Denise’s destination wedding in beautiful Belize.
As is often the case, it all starts with booze! The groom, featured here with our local Belizean Belikin Beer, hung out with the guys at Crazy Canuck’s bar, while the bride….
…required something a tad stronger resulting, of course, in the classic Tequila face.
As part of their nuptials, Denise and Sean included a Sand Ceremony. Normally at weddings, there isn’t a dry eye in the house. During this one, there wasn’t a straight face on the beach.
Then it was time for group pictures. We work really hard to help our couples to have fun group shots as they can be so boring sometimes. In this instance no encouragement was necessary. We all know that after the group shots come the family shots and here’s one that we will never forget.
We’d like to introduce you to the Mother of the Groom.
So we thought that once we got the lovely couple away from the group, things would calm down a bit. For a moment, they were as cute as buttons snuggled up on their golf cart. But that didn’t last for long.
What could we do but take a picture? But now we were on a mission. We always want to give our bride romantic photos, no matter how ‘crazy in love’ she really is. So we waved our magic ‘Conch’ and got them in the mood.
Turns out that when we got her to sit still for a minute, Denise was absolutely a very gorgeous bride.
Along came the groom.
But he couldn’t resist his gorgeous bride and settled down for a beautiful moment with her…until…….
….he found a Sea Cucumber. Oh yes he did. You can imagine the comparisons that were made and the giggling that ensued.
As usual, the bride had the last laugh and gave us this wonderful photo, which we just adore. Thank you Denise.
If you enjoyed this blog, you might enjoy our Facebook Page too. Give it a try by just clicking here. That’s where we post our most current work and publish sneak previews.
Special thanks to Exotic Caye Beach Resort for hosting this beautiful wedding.
Even specialer thanks to Crazy Canucks Bar for lending us the stools for the group shot.
And specialerer thanks to Victoria House for allowing us to use their beautiful beach for the after ceremony shoot.
If we’ve forgotten even more specialererer thanks, please let us know. Conch Creative wants everyone to feel loved and appreciated – even if a Sea Cucumber makes you feel small.
Why Would You Want to Do That? – Trash the Dress
‘Why would you want to do that?’, we often hear when we tell people that our couple have booked us for a Trash the Dress session. We try to explain that it really is not about trashing anything, but actually about creating something beautiful. Trash the Dress has become an art form – and yes, some brides really do go for it and trash their dress completely. Why not? Very few brides in this day in age plan to wrap their dress in mothballs hoping that a future daughter might choose to wear it again. But good photographs are definitely something that will be saved for future generations.
Trash the Dress sessions allow us, as a creative team, to add an element of fantasy. We love to take our subjects out of context and find beauty in the most unusual places.
Trash the Dress sessions can be incredibly fun and romantic for the bride and groom. Where else are they going to find a team like Conch Creative encouraging them to express their naughty side and to play in the water in their wedding gear?
When we start a Trash the Dress session we usually spend some time with the bride, working on portraits. The groom will stand and watch and we can always see the pride growing in his eyes. That’s when we know it’s a good time to invite the groom to join in.
How could a groom not be filled with pride and love when he gets to see his new bride looking like an angel during a photo shoot at sunrise on the Caribbean Sea?
Conch Creative just never gets tired of the romance…
and heroes..did we happen to mention that we especially love romantic heroes?
If you’ve ever wondered why someone would want to ‘Trash the Dress’, now you know. These beautiful images will bring back memories of a magical and enchanting wedding in Belize and they’ll never go out of style.
This wedding and Trash the Dress session was held at the gorgeous Las Terrazas Resort.
Cruisin’ for Some Fun in the Sun
We are sort of unusual destination wedding photographers in that we are already at the destination. Because we live and work here, we know how to get the best out of the weather, how to get our couples to look fabulous, even when it’s very hot, and – we know all of the best locations. But even more than that, we like to help our wonderful wedding couples to have an amazing experience. For many of our lovely couples, they are already having a great time here diving, snorkeling, fishing and exploring Maya ruins, but there are some couples who are just passing through – for a fleeting visit – and for them, their wedding and photography experience make up the sum total of their time in Belize. These are couples who stop to visit Belize, while traveling the Caribbean on a cruise ship. The couple above are one of those very special couples.
When a bride to be gets in touch and tells us what her fantasy wedding pictures will look like, we do our best to oblige. When we’re told ‘I want to make the most of the Caribbean and get wet!’, we make sure it happens.
The bride is always the brave one it seems. She always gets in first and somehow always manages to look just beautiful in the process.
But eventually the groom may need some encouragement. This seems to have done the trick.
It didn’t take long for the groom to turn the tables and with blue eyes like that, we can see why the lovely bride looks so happy. Before they knew it, it was time to go and catch their ship – but now they have the most wonderful photographs to remind them of their romantic escape to a little island in Caribbean, known affectionately as ‘La Isla Bonita’.
Just in case you wondered – we do take pictures of gorgeous brides on dry land too!
It doesn’t matter if you like to keep your toes dry – romance, love and lots of smiles are the order of the day when you get hitched in San Pedro.
Oh and did we mention fun??? With Conch Creative as your wedding photographers, your wedding photography experience will definitely be fun.
When our calendar is not full of exciting and fabulous weddings, we still manage to have plenty of fun ourselves. We love working with talented people and love getting the opportunity to give them our own special ‘Conch Creative’ touch.
Our amazing model was Miss San Pedro in 2009/2010 and it seems she just gets more beautiful.
A few days before the shoot, a friend had dropped off some hot chili peppers. We find beauty in everything around us and we felt that it was about time that our chili peppers were given the glamorous boost they deserved. Hot! Hot! Hot!
We hope you’ve enjoyed this installment of the Conch Creative Blog. Don’t stop reading now though because we have to remind you about our entertaining and hugely silly photography competition on Facebook. There is still time to make your own hilarious entry and of course to vote for your favourite. To find out more – check out this Conch Creative Facebook Page Link . If you look on the left of the page, you’ll see a link to ‘photos’. Click there and then you’ll find the Copy Conchs 2011 – Photo Competition album. Take the time – it will be worth it …actually it will only be worth it if you have a really good sense of humour. If you’re boring – don’t bother.
As always we have to offer special thanks to the businesses and individuals who made this blog possible.
Firstly – thanks to ‘I DO’ Belize Weddings, the wonderful wedding coordinators for the cruise ship wedding.
Thanks to the beautiful Las Terrazas Resort for organising and hosting the drier, but still very beautiful, wedding.
And finally, thanks to you for reading our blog. We hope you liked it. If you did, please do share it!
Hula in Belize
As destination wedding photographers in Belize, we have the privilege of working with people from many different places and cultures. Belize is rapidly becoming ‘the’ place to hold the perfect, romantic, barefoot beach wedding. So, we’ve seen Mexican style wedding traditions, Native American wedding traditions – but this was the first time we’d seen Hawaiian traditions and we were very excited to learn that our bride would be dancing the Hula for her new husband.
There was so much love at this wedding, we have decided to share it with you – before we get to the hula bit – right from the beginning. Many people dream of a tropical wedding in paradise. Jennifer and Aaron’s wedding at Las Terrazas certainly filled the bill. As we photographed the dress against the Caribbean backdrop, we knew that it was going to be a beautiful day.
It almost seemed that mother nature had conspired with La Isla Bonita, our beautiful Belizean island, to create a perfect day. Even the shells and sailboats were cooperative.
The preparations are often nerve wracking, especially when the bride and groom get ready in different locations. Our lovely bride was getting lovelier by the minute. Meanwhile….
…our handsome groom knotted his tie in contemplation.
But rarely is anyone usually more nervous than the Mother of the Bride.
With all the planning and build up it seems so sudden when it’s finally time to ‘kiss the bride’.
This couple did just a bit more than kiss though. They had their own secret handshake and they made sure to bind their marriage vows by performing it in front of their loved ones. That’s one way to seal the deal!
While the guests enjoyed the adorable party favours, we wandered off with the bride and groom to enjoy the scenery and some fun wedding photography – just the sort of thing that Conch Creative loves.
First there was some ‘Caye’ Kung Fu.
Followed by some serious smooching.
Then they did some rather impressive leaps of love.
Our stunning bride had no hesitation in telling her gorgeous groom exactly where she wanted him to be….
…and that was snuggled up with his arms wrapped around her.
By now, you’re saying ‘ Where is that danged Hula they promised?’. We had to share the ever so sweet first dance, accompanied by solo saxophone as the sun was close to setting over the west side of Ambergris Caye.
Here it is! Last but not least and definitely worth waiting for – the Hula in Belize. It was a touching dance, accompanied by a traditional Hawaiian song played beautifully on mandolin and sung with such feeling that everyone shed a tear and smiled – all at the same time.
Weddings in Belize are never boring and we can’t wait to share the next one with you. Thank you so much for following our blog.
Conch Creative is running a photo competition. Copy Conchs 2011. If you’d like to enter, please check out our Facebook page – here. You could win your own afternoon of pampering in paradise at the stunning Caye Winds Resort with us, Conch Creative, as your own personal photographer. The best thing about this photo competition is that you don’t have to be a photographer to enter – or win. You just have to be a bit silly and have lots of friends willing to vote. Even if you don’t choose to enter, you will definitely enjoy the entries.
A Photographer’s Life in Belize
As photographers in Belize we’re often asked what our job is like. What do we do? What is a normal working week? Well, if you’ve ever been to Belize, you’ll realise that Belize has it’s own rhythm, it’s own style, it’s own innate beauty. So, working as photographers in Belize is probably unlike being a photographer anywhere else in the world.
Belize is a place for contemplation. The beautiful bride pictured above is about to marry the love of her life at Captain Morgan’s Retreat.
Belize is definitely magical. It can also be wet. Living on the Caribbean Sea means that we sometimes work on the water, in the water and even under the water. This underwater shot was taken just off the dock at Ramon’s Village Resort.
Without a doubt, Belize is a place for tropical love. This moment of joy happened at Cayo Espanto, the private island resort.
Belize is inspirational, so there is a flourishing artists’ community. This is Paul, glass blower extraordinaire, from Artemis Glass in San Ignacio, Cayo.
Belize is mysterious. Because Belize is the home of the ancient Maya people and they believed that caves were portals to the underworld, some of our photography is underground. This was taken after a mile long hike through the Actun Chapat cave near San Jose Succotz. The floor is littered with pottery. This cave is on private property but tours can be arranged through Ken Dart of Belizean Sun Tours.
Belize is luxurious. If you want absolute luxury, resorts in Belize like Cayo Espanto can make you feel like a star. In fact, Cayo Espanto is a fabulous secret hideaway for many world famous stars.
Belize is romantic.
Did we mention that Belize is romantic?
Belize has history – seriously ancient history with pyramids and ruins and everything. The Maya knew how to build them to last, but you can’t climb them wearing high heels.
Above all…Belize isn’t always what you think it will be. This is Eddie, (AKA Handyman Eddie). He’s come to our rescue on more than one occasion to save us from floods and fires. Honestly – he really has. Eddie is Belizean. With him is Keppy, a macaw. Belize is somewhat famous for its macaws. Keppy, though, is not Belizean. Keppy is a Miligold Macaw. Eddie rescued her from a very uncertain future. Conch Creative does not support the keeping of wildlife as pets and would always prefer to see birds flying free, but Keppy was bred in captivity and would never survive in the wild. She and Eddie have a very close relationship and we were thrilled to be able to capture this special moment between them.
So folks this is just a taster of what being a photographer in Belize is all about. We hope you enjoyed sharing this blog with us. We certainly enjoyed making it. All of the photos in this blog were taken within the last two months. Oh and in case you didn’t know – this is us, Conch Creative, at work in Belize. This photo was sneakily taken during a wedding shoot on Cayo Espanto by the lovely groom to be, Alan. Thanks for sending it to us Alan!
Special thanks goes to Keli at I DO Belize Weddings, who organised and planned both of our featured weddings.
If you’d like to see more of Conch Creative’s images and keep up with all of our new work, please join our Conch Creative Facebook page .
Doing San Pedro – A Unique Trash the Dress Experience in Belize
Wedding photographers love the opportunity to do something different, something unique and something out of the ordinary. Many would say that Conch Creative gets to do that every day as we are ‘in situ’ destination wedding photographers in Belize, one of the most beautiful countries in the world – and you certainly won’t hear us complaining. But we must admit that our heart skips a beat and we get giddy with excitement when a bride contacts us and says she wants to do a Trash the Dress session. We know that this is a bride we’re going to have fun with…but not all Trash the Dress sessions involve just trashing the dress. Let us share a Trash the Dress experience with you – Conch Creative style.
Even before we met this couple, we knew they were special and wonderful. Once we met them and their beautiful families, we were absolutely convinced. This is Ryan with their gorgeous son, who was a handsome if somewhat reluctant ring bearer. They are waiting for the ceremony to start.
The wedding, of course was beautiful. All weddings in San Pedro are beautiful – but this blog is not about the wedding, which was held at the gorgeous Xanadu Island Resort. But we just couldn’t help but include a romantic photograph from after the ceremony, just to remind our readers how amazing Ambergris Caye truly is. We don’t think there could be another image that could conjure up the fantasy of a ‘tropical wedding’ quite so well as this one does.
The day after the wedding, Carrie & Ryan’s friends and family decorated a golf cart. When Carrie booked her Trash the Dress, she said she wanted a flavour of San Pedro – she wanted images that were taken in and around town so that she’d have memories to treasure. Of course, Conch Creative felt obliged to be the ultimate tour guides. So we all piled into the golf cart and headed into the wilds of San Pedro Town.
They wanted to experience the wild and wonderful side of San Pedro, Belize and so a pit stop at the new Blackbeard’s Hideout seemed to fit the bill perfectly.
Anyone who has spent any time on Ambergris Caye will know that Maria’s fruit and vegetable stand is a landmark and Miss Maria is an icon with (we’re losing count now) well over 50 grandchildren. She’s everyone’s grandma really and couldn’t wait to congratulate the bride and groom in her typically, warm and affectionate manner.
Then on to the next landmark. Estel’s is famous for it’s seafront ambiance, colourful characters and delicious food.
Along the way Carrie & Ryan had to stop to see some local hand crafts made from gorgeous Belizean hardwoods.
Then it was time for some fun and games in San Pedro’s Central Park. Ryan sure got into the spirit of things with this Manatee (otherwise known as a Sea Cow). Ride ’em cowboy!
Ever the gentleman, he made sure that the lovely Carrie got to enjoy the playground too.
After finally getting Carrie & Ryan familiar with the ‘real’ San Pedro, it was time for them to get wet and so we headed for the sea…
They tested the water and knew it was time.
In minutes, Carrie was a Caribbean princess of the sea. But it wasn’t long before….
Ryan had to join her and so he, being a total Prince Charming, made his way through the warm waters to join Carrie.
She was so beautiful and the moment was so perfect, he just couldn’t resist.
And so ends our tale of a unique Trash the Dress experience with two very wonderful and beautiful people, who wanted the real San Pedro experience. We know that their wedding images will give them joy and memories of beautiful Belize for many years to come. Congratulations Carrie & Ryan and thank you for letting us share our gorgeous island with you.
Conch Creative would like to make it clear that no Manatees were hurt in the making of this blog.
If you would like to keep up to date with Conch Creative’s different photographic adventures, then please join our Facebook page Conch Creative’s Adventurous Facebook Page
The Spice of Photography
As wedding photographers in Belize, Conch Creative are always grateful that we get the opportunity to attend and document romantic and fabulous weddings. As artists, we are always evolving and looking for new inspiration. Last year we were privileged to be invited to provide official photographs for the Miss San Pedro pageant. All of the girls were intelligent, poised, charming and absolutely beautiful. Natasha Stuart won the title of Miss San Pedro 2010/2011 and we believe this image is a wonderful representation of her metamorphosis from the young lady we met last year to the woman she is becoming. As she rises from the water, with her wings spread, ready to take flight, she is heading for a brilliant future. She is currently a college student and we can see that she has amazing opportunities laying ahead of her.
Liliana Mia Nunez was once the reigning Miss San Pedro. She has since gone on to develop a successful career in fitness training. When Conch Creative photographs Belizean women, we like to portray not only their beauty but immense strength. Liliana represents all of those things. As a community, we in San Pedro were extremely proud that she represented Belize as Miss Belize in the International Costa Maya Festival. We had so much fun working with her on this shoot – and work we did. Not only did it take excellent balancing skills, but a considerable amount of bravery for Liliana to give us this image.
These images are previews and there will be many more amazing Conch Creative images of these incredible women being released in the near future. If you’d like to see more of Liliana and Natasha, they will be appearing on our Facebook page – Conch Creative Facebook Page – and eventually on our website – Conch Creative Website .
Conch Creative wedding photography has been extremely busy this year and March has brought marriage madness with it. We certainly are not complaining and felt obliged to share some of our recent weddings with you. This is Terri and Glenn. They got married at sunset on a sandbar in the middle of nowhere, with only three guests in attendance on Valentine’s Day. They were so in love it was absolutely touching and everyone shed a tear when they read their very personal vows.
Sandbars are a unique location for an intimate tropical wedding in Belize. While the there isn’t much in terms of scenery, who needs it when the love virtually pops out of the photograph and kisses you on the nose.
But of course when there is scenery, everyone takes advantage of it. This is Jenn and Todd. They were married at the tasteful and beautiful Victoria House resort. They were just lovely people – laid back, wonderful to work with and great fun.
Doing wedding photography in Belize, we get some unusual requests for family and group shots. This was one of our most unusual. Todd and Jenn had some relatives who were absent for a variety of reasons. They were gathered together on this table – their sister attending by Skype.
Jenn had a gorgeous wedding dress, which we felt deserved its very own portrait.
Of course Conch Creative ‘hearts’ weddings in Belize. It seems that Mother Nature does too!
The variety is never ending for photographers in Belize and the smile of a child is always food for inspiration. This young man came all the way from Cayo for his six month portrait shoot with Conch Creative. He couldn’t stop smiling – and I’m sure it helped that he had four adults making absolute fools of themselves for his benefit.
While we love taking pictures of people, there is a special magic to commercial and resort photography in Belize. This is Ramon’s Village Resort, one of the oldest and most established resorts in San Pedro, at night.
..and this is Coco Beach Resort, one of San Pedro’s newest resorts at night.
Because variety is indeed the spice that gives Conch Creative it’s very unique flavour, we end with this image, taken at Sailsports Belize. Amazing kiteboarding stunts truly gave us that wonderful kick that only the spiciest of dishes provide…and we all know that Belize is a country that loves everything hot and spicy.
Until next time, Conch Creative thanks you all for taking the time to read our blog and enjoy our photos. If you like our work, please do share it and maybe even join our Conch Creative Facebook Page – Conch Creative spicy link
We have some important thank yous and shout outs to give here.
Many thanks to Caye Winds and Caribbean Villas for providing us with fantastic locations for our shoots with Liliana and Natasha.
Thanks to Bradley Mazin for his outrageous kiteboarding skills.
Thanks to our brides and grooms for making our job easy and enjoyable.
And thanks to all of the models, resorts and even kids who share a little bit of themselves with us and become part of Conch Creative as a result.
Welcome to San Pedro – The perfect location for destination beach wedddings
If you’ve been following our blog, you’ll know that Conch Creative are Belize wedding photographers, specialising in beach weddings. Of course we also do other photography and we like to spice things up a little bit on our blog by sharing some of that with you too so that you can experience Belize as a location for your dream destination wedding. Welcome to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize
This is the beach in front of Ramon’s Village. There are some beautiful beaches on Ambergris Caye and this certainly is one of them.
Just in case you were wondering what Ramon’s Village might look like from above, here is a bird’s eye view taken from one of our cute little Cessna island hoppers.
As wedding photographers in Belize, we are often asked ‘What do you do if it rains?’. Of course, we say ‘We have to sacrifice a virgin to the Maya Rain God – Chac’. We’re proud to introduce you to Chac. He can be found lounging around the pool at Ramon’s Village.
Of course, where you find one Maya god, you’ll find others – sometimes hiding in the most unlikely places, like this watermelon!
Of course taking pictures can make you hungry, especially when the food looks as good as this. Could it be the incredible leaning tower of shrimp? The chef at Pineapple’s Restaurant knows how to wield a skewer for sure!
Ok, with Valentine’s Day around the corner, we couldn’t cheat you all out of a little love and romance. Stephanie and Edwin had some friends and family come to join them for their beautiful beach ceremony at Victoria House. Another of our fabulous Caribbean beaches ideal for that dream barefoot wedding. (except that Edwin wore shoes!)
Beach weddings in Belize tend to be incredibly romantic. You would think that being wedding photographers, we would get bored, but we shed a tear with every couple, sharing their happiness.
It’s hard not to feel the love when two people are so truly enamoured with one another.
A lacy dress, a white beach, glowing with happiness – it is easy to see why Edwin is totally smitten with Stephanie…
…that he couldn’t help but sweep her off her feet for one and all to see!
So come and join us in exotic, romantic and beautiful Belize for your destination beach wedding…you never know what you’ll find around every corner…or what magic it might bring into your lives.
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