Traditions and Tropical Memories – Belize Weddings
We remember, many years ago, living in London and seeing billboards for Caribbean destinations wondering if we’d ever be able to have a holiday in such a beautiful place and now, now we live and work here. Not only that but we get to share that with people who have traveled from all over the world to fulfill that very dream. Some come to elope. Some come to party. Quite a few bring their wedding traditions with them. The only difference is that they get to enjoy those traditions in beautiful Belize
Getting ready. That age old bridal ritual, supported by her best friends, to prepare her for her future.
The rings. Perhaps not quite conventionally presented, but this is the Caribbean and so, traditions come with a twist.
Once the rings are in place, symbolising a lifelong commitment…
It’s time for group photos. Wait a minute. This isn’t a traditional group photo! As anyone who has been to Belize can tell you – everyone is very friendly – including the cats and dogs. You’ll likely have one or the other turn up at some point to congratulate you. That’s a tradition here.
We can’t, of course, forget about that first dance. A favourite tradition for the evening.
But it’s the memories that make the day so special.
And what better memories can you ask for than an azure blue sky…
…a warm, beautiful sea…
…sunshine and tropical greenery everywhere you turn. Come to Belize, enjoy your own traditions and create new ones that you’ll never forget.
This beautiful wedding was organised and hosted by the fabulous Las Terrazas Resort
A Wedding For Three! – Belize Destination Wedding
Like so many stories of destination weddings in Belize that we share with you, this one is a love story. Of course there is a bride and a groom, both very much in love. But sometimes a wedding isn’t just about two people. Sometimes there’s a little bit extra love and in this case, the bride was not just marrying one person but two.
This is the third, and so very important person, in this love story and she was so much a part of the ceremony it even brought a tear to the eye of this tough old wedding photographer.
She was involved with every aspect of the preparations. It was such an exciting and emotional day for her.
Whenever it got a little bit too crazy, she could sneak outside and observe the goings on.
She was so loved and so included. Just the way it should be when a wedding is truly the bonding of a family unit.
While she watched the ceremony with such intensity, she unconsciously touched the beautiful necklace she had just been gifted.
She didn’t remain seated for long because she was an integral part of this joining.
OK, well maybe some bits were just for the grown ups, but she didn’t seem to mind one bit.
This was a much more fun way for her to celebrate.
There were so many wonderful and special moments.
The family that celebrates together certainly stays together we think.
It was nearly time for the party to start.
Even though everyone was having way too much fun already.
We transported the happy couple away for a little romance on their own – Belize style!
Still managing to have way too much fun…
…they finally found a spot to share some tender moments together.
The sun set quickly.
Before they knew it, it was time to return to reality…
…if you can call a setting like this ‘reality’.
As the night drew to close, it ended like it all began – as a wedding for three.
And that is truly something worth getting excited about!
This absolutely love filled and beautiful wedding for three was organised and hosted by the fabulous Las Terrazas Resort
There’s Love in Every Detail – What Works When Planning Your Destination Wedding – Belize Wedding
Because we are lucky enough to work in a destination that is incredibly popular (and quite rightly so!) for romantic, exotic and tropical weddings – we probably shoot weddings more often than your average photographer. This gives us a great insight into what works and what doesn’t. We would like to present you with a wedding full of everything that works. In this blog we are going to share with you the secrets that we’ve learned that will make your destination wedding personal, stunning, unique and full of love – in every detail.
Shoes. Every woman loves shoes, but when you’re planning a wedding in Belize, shoes may not be the first thing that pop into your head. After all, this is a barefoot wedding destination. But think outside of the proverbial shoe box if you can. Shoes aren’t just for wearing. They add colour, pizzazz and, if they are quite as fabulous as these shoes are, they can be used as props for photographic opportunities. After the wedding is over, we are sure that you both can think of other ways to integrate shoes into your newlywed life.
On the other hand (get it? hand?), rings will certainly be a detail you do not want to forget. Do not forget the rings …and…if you are going to request photos of the rings, photogenic rings are best. ‘My ring has too much bling’ said no bride EVER.
The bride certainly does have plenty to think about. Sweat proof make up and nuclear hairspray are two necessary items.
The groom and his supporters also need to think about fundamental things like – does anyone know how to tie a tie correctly? If none of the wedding party do have this very important skill, make sure that you’ve hired a photographer who does. In this particular instance, this is yet another thing that worked at this wedding. Conch Creative offers tie knotting as a complimentary service, but please do not ask us to pin a boutonniere unless you don’t faint when you see blood.
Moving on now. The dress. Choosing a dress for a destination wedding, or any wedding for that matter, needs to be done with care. If you are getting married in Belize, remember that you are likely to swell a bit. Some blame the humidity, others the food, drinks and good times. Either way, make sure that you have these two areas covered – Will I be comfortable? Will I look freaking fabulous? In this instance, we can only assume that the bride planned for swelling because the stunning, glove like fit of this dress was absolutely perfect. Please note that your photographer will be very grateful if you follow these guidelines as it definitely reduces the wear and tear on our retouching muscles.
Flowers. We need to add one of those ‘don’t try this at home’ warnings to this one. If you are planning on throwing the bouquet at some poor harmless, unwed bridesmaids you may wish to hold off a bit on the extras. We wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt you know. But if you are accessorising with your bouquet and don’t want it to become a wilting memory of your very special day, have fun with it. Get creative. Put some planning into it. Put some love into every single detail because trust us, we are the photographers, we have all the records in our archives and we can tell you right now – when you make an effort, it shows.
While it is fashionable for the bride to be a little bit late, it never works if the groom is. So, if you can combine the need for timeliness with a very sexy gift for the groom, just to give him that extra loving detail – go for it! Please notice the groom’s attire. If the bride can make the extra effort to wear a stunning gown on this important occasion, there is no excuse for the groom to let the side down. Guys, if you want to do what works, put some love into it. Wear something smart, something snazzy, something that compliments your beautiful bride. It will be worth it when you see the pictures.
Time to see how they scrub up. That dress! Wow!
Those shoes! Shazam!
Those rings! Perfect!
That location! OMG!
The kiss! Wait a minute! How’d he get into the picture? We did forget to mention one extra detail. Your guests. Make sure your guests are well behaved. If they can’t be, then make sure they are cute and entertaining. This Father in Law fits the bill on both counts.
The smiles! The most loving detail of all. The smiles need to be humungous and from the heart.
When planning your details, make sure you’ve set aside some time to relax after the ceremony, to decompress and to enjoy the scenery.
The last important detail that will make your wedding work is to choose the right photographer for you. Your photography should be fun and relaxing. Since the third person in the marriage at this stage will, indeed, be your photographer, you better like them – a lot. And likewise. Can you imagine what could happen if your photographer didn’t like you? Luckily Conchs are immensely likable and entertaining and you may even want to take one home with you.
When it’s time for those intimate moments. You don’t want someone there who feels like a stranger, or even worse, who feels you strangely. So, please, choose your photographer carefully as when you look at your photos, you’ll be reminded of them every time.
If you’re going to come all the way to beautiful Belize, pay attention and show some love to those details. Because we know it works and while this may be your first, second or even third wedding, we’ve done hundreds and we want yours to be the one that we remember forever too for being one of the most beautiful and special days of all.
This lovingly detailed wedding was organised and hosted by Las Terrazas
The Recipe for a Perfect Wedding in Paradise – Belize Weddings
There are a number of ingredients, when correctly combined, result in an absolutely perfect wedding day in paradise. We are happy to share our own special recipe with you.
So, to start, our main ingredient is a beautiful bride.
We also need a large measure of handsome groom.
A little touch of cheekiness always adds some flavour.
But do have the groom close to hand because you need to be prepared to mix them up.
As once those two main ingredients are combined…
You can’t always predict what’s going to happen next.
Gently add some of your dry ingredients to give a little sparkle and spice to the occasion.
Now, moisten the ingredients lightly.
While it may be tempting to add more liquid, don’t overdo it.
Just a couple of cups for now as you can always add more fluids later.
If you overdo it, things may become little bit wobbly.
We certainly wouldn’t want anyone to fall in the process.
Next, make sure to cover your ingredients well. Barefoot weddings are all well and fine, until you hit the gravel.
Very carefully transport them.
And place them somewhere cool and dry for a while.
After they’ve settled for a short time, return them to a moister environment and then…
…warm them up slowly.
Finally finishing them off nicely with a glaze of alcohol and sugar (otherwise known as wine). If you’ve followed our instructions correctly, your final product should be a perfect wedding day in paradise.
This beautiful wedding was organised and hosted by the fabulous Las Terrazas Resort.
Pretty in Pink (and it’s not who you think!) – Belize Weddings
Every couple does it differently and this is one of the things that makes our work as wedding photographers in Belize so interesting and fun. Some couples come to Belize to elope, to get away from it all and enjoy a small and intimate wedding on the beach. Other couples plan a big party and think out all the details. This wedding was thoroughly planned, with much excitement, good taste and love and we are so pleased that we are able to share it with you.
From the hanger for the dress…
…to the bouquets and bridesmaids.
The table settings…
…and even the Thank You card for afterwards. Everything was meticulously organised. Now some of you may think this would all be a lot of work, but what we’ve found is that the brides who plan and organise in advance, particularly if they have guests, have the most stress free wedding. This is because once it’s done, they don’t have to think about another thing. They can just go with the flow on the day and enjoy the party. Let us show you exactly how that went.
The boys, as always, remain in their underwear until the last possible minute.
Meanwhile, the flower girl takes charge in the ladies’ dressing area…
…ensuring that everything meets her strict specifications.
Because no matter how hard the bride tries to do it herself…
…she can always do with a little bit of help.
And there is nothing like that moment…
…when things are about to get real.
True to form, the guys are almost dressed.
Don’t forget those rings!
And finally, it’s sealed with a kiss.
No, seriously..did we really do it?
It appears that you did.
Well, in that case…
…it’s time to celebrate!
First, it’s time for some romance.
This is your special day and you should feel like rock stars!
Your own yacht for the day.
And today, the sun sets just for you.
All your loved ones have come all this way.
Dance.
Eat cake.
Hula.
Party the night away. For tomorrow it will seem like just a dream.
This fabulous wedding was hosted by the beautiful Ramon’s Village Resort
Doing Tea and Traditions Belize Style! – Belize Weddings
We are always thrilled when our brides bring amazing props, personalised details, fabulous veils, stunning traditions and a great sense of humour and this couple ticked every box for us as wedding photgraphers.
This was the first dress of the day. The bride wore this in preparation for a traditional tea ceremony.
During this ceremony the couple kneel in front of both sets of parents and serve them tea.
In return, the couple receive envelopes filled with money. It’s a touching and classy way for gifts to be exchanged and we very much enjoyed being able to be there.
This couple thought of everything, from beautiful little party favours…
…to choosing a resort with fabulous architecture to provide drama and an amazing setting.
Ultimately, this resulted in a perfect beach ceremony.
As always, we took the couple away from the party so that they could reconnect and enjoy the romance of Belize.
They knew how to make the most of this special time and…
…the bride’s most spectacular veil.
In the end, nothing was going to stop them from having their own little party…..Gangnam Style!
We thank Las Terrazas Resort for hosting this wonderful wedding.
If you like our wedding photos, you may just love some of our other work, so please do check out our Facebook page, where we post sneak peeks of all of our different styles of photography.
La Isla Bonita Love Story – Belize Wedding
Please allow us to introduce you to the headlining stars of this love story. 
And here are their chairs.
They spent a lot of time thinking about important details. Props such as sensational shoes…
…party favours…
…and an enthusiastic and entertaining cast of extras.
So, let’s introduce you to ‘supporting’ cast.
Meet the guys.
Meet the girls.
Meet the guys again.
Finally, the co stars – the cherubs.
Before the opening scene, the groom had no idea how the script would play out.
And then the co-stars made their grand entrance.
The rings were exchanged.
The bride was kissed.
The cherub’s halo fell off.
The contract was signed..er..umm..the marriage license.
It was time to celebrate.
No…REALLY celebrate!
But first some traditional romantic interludes for the two stars of this love story.
A little kiss…
…a little grope…
…a little nuzzle…
…and one hell of a sunset.
Time for the curtains to close and the cast party to begin.
The End….no..it’s not the end…truly it’s not….keep your eye on this blog because this story is TO BE CONTINUED!
This fabulous wedding was organised and hosted by Las Terrazas Resort
10 Easy Steps to Your Destination Wedding in Belize
Couples decide on destination weddings in Belize for so many reasons. Some wish to elope, some want to mix their honeymoon and wedding, some want to escape the drama of a big wedding at home, others want to share the beauty of Belize with their family and friends. Whatever the reason, we thought it was time we shared some helpful hints so that you can have the destination wedding of your dreams.
Step one. Choose a dress that suits a tropical wedding on the beach. Remember that you’ll be wearing it for quite a few hours, so you must love how you look in it, but even more – you need to love how you feel in it.
If you feel beautiful, you’ll look beautiful – just like this gorgeous bride.
Step two. Make sure your rings fit. Did you know that a change in climate can make your fingers swell? To avoid embarrassing moments you may want to use a little lotion on your hands before the ceremony to make sure everything goes ‘smoothly’.
Step 3. Don’t forget about the groom.
Make sure he looks good and feels good in what he’s wearing too!
Step 4. If you have got family and friends with you…
…give them things to keep them occupied so they feel useful and part of the ceremony.
Step 5. In the tropics you will want to hold your ceremony later in the day for your comfort, the comfort of your guests and to get the best light for your photographs. Never leave your guests sitting out in the heat for too long or they will get sweaty, uncomfortable and may well head off to the bar.
Step 6. If your guests have come all the way to Belize for your wedding, then they will want to participate and listen to the ceremony on your special day. They also will not want to ruin your photos. You can help them to do these things by asking them not to bring or use cameras and phones to the ceremony. Hey, you’ve paid good money for a professional photographer to do that. They can just sit back and enjoy your beautiful ceremony.
Step 7. If you have friends and family along, don’t spend too much time trying to plan group shots. Do you really want to spend an hour in the sun while everyone in every combination comes and stands next to you for a photo? Most brides we work with come to Belize to relax and have fun – so, after the ceremony plan on one fun group shot with everyone in it.
Step 8. Make sure you’ve set aside time in the best possible light (the last hour before sunset is perfect) to relax and spend some private time with your photographer…
…because these are the memories of Belize that you’ll want to treasure forever.
Step 9. Be adventurous with your photos as you never know what might happen or who might fly by.
Step 10. Get ready to eat, drink and be married!!!!
We’d like to thank the gorgeous Las Terrazas Resort for organising and hosting this wedding.
For more photos, helpful hints and a chance to ask us your questions about wedding photography in Belize, check out our Facebook page here.
Brides, Bare Feet and Bikinis in Belize – Belize Weddings
People who get married in Belize are often of an adventurous spirit. They want to do something amazing, beautiful and exotic. While we love our conventional couples, we truly love working with those who do something different and personal. This couple did just that. They completely personalised their Belize wedding experience by doing it a little bit local, bringing a bit of their own style with them and then just throwing caution to the wind and being themselves. Sand ceremonies are something that allows the couple to take home a bit of Belize with them and allow all of their loved ones to participate.
Bringing something of your own culture with you to Belize also helps to make a wedding truly unique and memorable.
Details can add so much to the ambiance of a wedding celebration, so sometimes bringing down that extra suitcase with some personal touches makes all the difference.
Combining some tropical, exotic flowers with glamorous silverware can truly turn an event into something unique.
Beautiful smiles ensure that even though every detail is perfect, the celebration will be a success.
Add a magnificent sunset..
…and some local scenery and you have the perfect recipe for a very special day. But what do you do afterwards?
Oh my! That’s right. It’s time to throw off the formalities and get a bit sexy – because now it’s the honeymoon.
The honeymoon is less about details and more about fun …and a bit of sauciness too! What better way to surprise your new husband.
We see no complaints from this one.
OK we did have to include just one last completely gratuitous photo of this quite stunning bride in her bikini. We wish this extremely happy couple all the very best for the future. They were so very much in love.
This beautiful wedding was hosted by the gorgeous Las Terrazas Resort.
The couple went on to have their honeymoon and honeymoon shoot at the fabulous Victoria House.
If you enjoyed these wedding and honeymoon photos, you might just fancy our Facebook Page, which you can find right here. We share all sorts of sneak previews, recent shoots and photos of Belize . We also encourage much mirth and a little bit of naughty behaviour. So, please join us.
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.
Belize Wedding Photography Blog 