This post is a little different from my usual content—it’s not a professional photography feature, but rather a personal travel diary from one of the most beautiful and joy-filled weeks I’ve experienced. I had the honour of traveling to Riviera Maya, Mexico for my brother-in-law Julien and his amazing partner Josee’s destination wedding at the Barcelo Maya Beach Resort.
All the photos in this post were taken on my personal cell phone—no fancy camera work here! I just wanted to share a glimpse into the trip with friends, family, and anyone who might be planning their own destination wedding (or looking for travel inspo). The memories were too good not to document.
(The professional photos from the wedding day are coming in a separate post—check out this blog post to see the full story!)
From April 10th to 17th, I had the absolute pleasure of staying at the Barcelo Maya Beach Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico to photograph the destination wedding of my brother-in-law Julien and his beautiful bride, Josee. It was a week full of sun, laughter, love, and unforgettable memories—and I’m still feeling the glow from it all (maybe some of it is sunburn… but still worth it).
We arrived at 2am on Friday morning and after a quick sleep, we jumped right into exploring the resort. A casual breakfast at the buffet fueled us for a stroll across the beautiful hotel grounds, where we found ourselves at the Palace before looping back to the Beach section for a meeting with the bride, groom, and their wedding coordinator.
As a wedding professional, I was so impressed with Barcelo Maya’s wedding services. The professionalism, attention to detail, and overall execution was incredible. After finalizing plans, we toured the ceremony and reception areas—it was great to see everything firsthand before the big day.
That afternoon, we relaxed by the pool and later dined at the Mexican à la carte restaurant. Though we weren’t super hungry, they insisted we enjoy a full three-course meal—and I’m so glad we did. It was delicious, and the perfect way to kick off the week. That night, our entire group of 50 gathered at the theater for karaoke, which was easily one of the highlights of the trip. The energy was contagious—singing, dancing, and laughter all around.
On Saturday, we took the resort’s free shuttle into Playa del Carmen. It stops first at Matisse Jewellers for some shopping and then a tequila tasting next door before heading into town. While it was fun (and the tequila was very smooth), we only had about two hours in the city—which wasn’t nearly enough time! Next time, I’d definitely opt for a direct taxi.
Side note - I included a picture of me enjoying a drink while walking through Playa Del Carmen because I am unable to do math and bought a 20$ drink.
That evening, we met at the buffet for a quick supper before heading out for the joint bachelor and bachelorette party at the resort’s disco, Jaguars where everyone wore blue (their wedding colour). The place filled up quickly with multiple wedding groups celebrating—it was a wild, fun night of dancing and good vibes.
Sunday was slower-paced (as it should be after a night like that). We lounged by the adults-only pool, soaking up the sun and relaxing before the big day on Monday.
The Wedding Day
Monday was the day! I brought my laptop to the lobby in the morning to prep for the day ahead, then met the ladies in the wedding suite for detail shots. Check out the picture above of my 5 star service delivering drinks to the bridal party in their suite. After that, I headed over to capture the guys getting ready. Julien was clearly excited—and just the right amount of nervous.
Back in the bride’s suite, I photographed a heartwarming first look between Josee, her mom, and bridal party—happy tears all around. We then headed to a gorgeous tree-lined path between hotel blocks, where the couple shared their emotional first look. Julien twirled Josee around to admire her dress and they exchanged private vows—full of sweet emotion, with Julien trying to hold back tears. It was such a beautiful moment.
You can read more about their wedding day and see the full story here.
After the ceremony and reception, we returned to our part of the hotel to freshen up/change and then attempted to continue the party at Jaguars—but quickly realized it wasn’t the vibe we were after. Instead, we ended up at Strikers, the resort’s sports bar, where the groom, bride and her family bowled the night away.
Adventures Beyond the Resort
Tuesday morning, I was too excited to wait—I brought my laptop to breakfast and edited some sneak peek photos while sipping a mimosa and iced coffee with Baileys. (It became a running joke that I couldn’t get a non-alcoholic drink all week—even when I tried, the staff would still sneak in a little something “fun.” Not that I’m complaining.
After breakfast, we made the somewhat daring walk across the 8-lane highway to the Kantun-Chi cenotes. We explored four different cenotes, each more unique than the last. The third one was the most magical—open-air, surrounded by trees and vibrant greenery, with kayaks gliding over crystal-clear water. It was an absolute dream. You can watch a video of me kayaking through the cenote here.
That evening, we dined at the Italian restaurant and wandered over to the adults-only section of the resort. We ended up on the beach where I saw something I’ll never forget—bioluminescent waves glowing in the dark. It was completely unexpected and 100% the highlight of my trip. You can watch a quick video I took of them here.
A Wild (and Wonderful) Last Day
Early Wednesday, our group chartered a catamaran tour called “Happy Endings” (the name says it all). We cruised along the coast before anchoring to snorkel in the ocean. The waves were huge, so I stayed at the back of the boat, floating with my life jacket clipped to a rope and a beer in hand, trying not to gulp seawater. I rarely swim on trips—but I’m so glad I did this time.
Once back on the boat, the party really picked up. One of the guides came out in a luchador mask, pouring mystery shots straight into our mouths. We may have been sunburnt and salty, but spirits were high.
That afternoon, we grabbed pizza at the beachfront restaurant and relaxed in hammocks suspended over the water—pure bliss. Sunburnt and tired, we still managed to rally for dinner at Tokyo, the resort’s teppanyaki restaurant. It ended up being my favourite meal of the trip (though I still think Moncton’s Osaka Hibachi takes the top spot!). After dinner, we took some last-minute group photos at a nearby fountain and toasted our final night with martinis in the lobby lounge. I've shared those professional photos as well as a few I took around the resort below (all other images are unprofessional cellphone pictures).
Friday morning we checked out at 3:55am to check out (yikes), packed up, and said goodbye to paradise.
This trip was unforgettable—for so many reasons. It was my first wedding of 2025, my first destination wedding, and my first time photographing a family member’s wedding. And honestly? I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Perfect weather, amazing people, and so many memories made. And while this post isn’t about my photography work, it captures the heart of the experience just the same
Until next time, Mexico.
Planning Your Own Destination Wedding?
If you’re dreaming of a wedding abroad and looking for a destination wedding photographer who will capture every moment with care, creativity, and attention to detail — I’d love to hear from you!
While this blog post was just a personal peek into my trip, photographing Julien and Josee’s beautiful wedding reminded me just how much I love documenting love stories in incredible places.
Get in touch using the form below to tell me more about your destination wedding plans — I can’t wait to hear all about them!
