My very last wedding of 2014 took me outside of the state of Maine…way out of the state. When Moraima, Jesse and I met back in 2013 for maternity photos and announced to me that they were also engaged I was ecstatic. When they casually asked me join them in Puerto Rico the following year for their wedding (as their photographer) I was speechless.
But…of course I said yes.
The warm, sunny beaches of San Juan are home to Moraima, so this wasn’t your typical destination wedding; it was a homecoming. Surrounded by so many of her family that still lives on the island, plus the friends and family that flew in from the continental US, the couple threw an intimate gathering with the most stunning ocean views. Jesse and his groomsmen started off the morning with a trip to a hole-in-wall barber shop for a hot towel shave and some pampering, while Moraima and her bridesmaids enjoyed breakfast at the hotel and then got ready overlooking the crystal clear blue waters of Condado beach. The ceremony took place on the oceanside patio of the La Concha Resort Hotel and then it was up to the rooftop for a cocktail hour and reception overlooking the ocean on one side and the city of San Juan on the other. Endless glasses of white and red sangria made their way around to guests while passed hors d’oeuvres of traditional Puerto Rican treats were enjoyed by all. Once it was time for dinner, guests were brought inside a lovely room with windows on all sides that was filled with stunning, white tropical centerpieces and candles galore. They enjoyed a delicious meal (which was also some of the prettiest and tastiest food I’d had all year) and soon people were on the dance floor for what seemed liked an endless night of moving and shaking. And let me tell you this. If there is one thing you need to know about a Puerto Rican wedding, it is that Puerto Ricans can dance…really dance. Moraima and her father tore is up on the dance floor like they had been practicing their whole lives for this…because really…they have been.
Moraima and Jesse, being asked to come on this adventure with you and your family was an absolute treat and I cannot thank you enough for your amazing hospitality during my stay in San Juan. Muchas gracias. Felicitaciones. Te quiero mucho, tanto. xoxo
For more BEAUTIFUL pictures of Puerto Rico head over here:
https://www.anneschmidtphotography.com/travel-san-juan-puerto-rico/
