Yesterday, we revealed the 50 images that made up our 2026 Best of the Best Destination Photo Collection, and the response was fantastic. But here’s the thing about a contest that draws thousands of submissions from photographers all over the world: exceptional work doesn’t stop at 50.
Today, we’re sharing the photos that came so close. Our 2026 Honorable Mention Collection is made up of 30 images that moved us, stopped us mid-scroll, and reminded us exactly why we run this contest every year.
If your image appears in this collection, congratulations. And if you’re a couple looking at these photos, wondering where to elope or host your destination wedding–that feeling is exactly the point. Browse our directory to find a destination wedding photographer who can bring that same vision to your day.
Ailyn and Jonathan wanted a wedding that felt elegant without being overly formal. They envisioned a celebration where Filipino and Japanese traditions could blend naturally with colorful florals, great food, family heirlooms, and the relaxed atmosphere of Napa Valley. Their wine country wedding at Brindare Napa brought all of those elements together in a way that felt personal and welcoming.
Their story began through a mutual friend while planning a birthday party. Ailyn was helping organize her college roommate’s celebration, and Jonathan happened to make the guest list through that same friend group. What started as playful banter quickly turned into something more once they met in person. Over the years that followed, they navigated graduate school, long distance, moving in together, career changes, and the loss of loved ones. Through every season of life, they discovered the same thing: there was no one else they would rather experience it all with.
What We Love About This Wine Country Wedding:
The Filipino cord, veil, and coin ceremony incorporated into an outdoor Napa celebration
Ikebana-inspired florals that honored Jonathan’s Japanese heritage
Vintage silver pieces thrifted and curated by the bride
A “love stories” display featuring wedding photos from family and friends
Food-inspired wedding favors designed with traveling guests in mind
Why a Smaller Guest List Ended Up Being the Right Choice
From the beginning, Ailyn and Jonathan knew they wanted a more intimate celebration. As they toured venues throughout Napa Valley, they quickly realized that many spaces felt too large for the experience they hoped to create.
Everything changed when Ailyn’s hair and makeup artist from their San Francisco City Hall civil ceremony recommended Brindare Napa. The venue checked every box on their list. It offered beautiful outdoor spaces, in-house catering, and an experienced team that could help simplify the planning process. “As soon as we toured it, we knew it was the place we wanted to get married,” Ailyn shared.
Keeping the guest list smaller allowed them to focus their budget on the parts of the experience they felt guests would appreciate most. Food, florals, transportation for out-of-town guests, and thoughtfully designed stationery all rose to the top of the priority list.
Honoring Two Cultures Without Overcomplicating the Day
Cultural traditions were an important part of the celebration, but Ailyn and Jonathan wanted them to feel naturally integrated into the day rather than separate from it. Ailyn, who is Filipino, always knew she wanted to include the traditional Filipino cord, veil, and coin ceremony often seen at Catholic weddings. Being able to share those customs with friends and family made the ceremony especially meaningful.
Meanwhile, Jonathan’s Japanese heritage was reflected in the floral design. The couple worked with a florist whose organic style aligned perfectly with their vision while also incorporating ikebana-inspired elements throughout the arrangements.
The overall design embraced a fall color palette with a California twist. Because wine country remains relatively warm during September and October, the couple leaned into vibrant shades of pink and green with touches of wine red, orange, and purple.
The result felt colorful and welcoming rather than overly seasonal. Vintage silver pieces that Ailyn carefully thrifted and collected added character to the tables while complementing the florals.
Why They Were Glad They Said Yes to a First Look
Like many couples, Ailyn and Jonathan went back and forth about whether to have a first look. In the end, they decided to do one, and it became one of their favorite moments from the day.
Away from the crowd and wedding-day timeline, they had a chance to see each other, take a breath, and soak in what was about to happen. Their videographer captured the moment, giving them a memory they know they’ll revisit for years.
The ceremony itself was equally meaningful. Jonathan’s best friend Steven served as officiant, bringing warmth and humor to the ceremony while still honoring the significance of the occasion. Violinist Rose Crelli performed some of the couple’s favorite love songs as guests gathered and during the processional.
After exchanging vows, the newlyweds walked back up the aisle surrounded by the people who had supported them throughout their relationship. The recession quickly became another standout memory from the day.
Finding Time to Actually Enjoy the Wedding
One piece of advice Ailyn and Jonathan would give other couples is surprisingly simple: spend as much time together as possible. Between greeting guests, staying on schedule, and making sure everyone is having a good time, it’s easy to spend a wedding day moving from one thing to the next. Some of their favorite memories came from the brief pauses in between.
They loved watching the sunset while taking portraits around the property. Another favorite moment was the quiet time they shared in the venue’s bridal cottage before joining everyone for dinner.
“Spend as much of the day with each other as you can,” they advise. “Everyone will want to visit with you, but remember to be present with each other as well.”
Choosing Details That Actually Meant Something
Some of the most memorable design elements came from items the couple already loved or collected. Ailyn spent months thrifting silver dishes and decorative pieces for both the welcome display and sweetheart table. She also created a “love stories” table using novels from her personal library alongside wedding photos of family members and friends. The display celebrated the many relationships that helped shape their own story and gave guests another glimpse into their personalities.
Food also played a role in several personal touches throughout the day. Knowing many guests had traveled to Napa for the celebration, the couple created DIY wedding favors featuring tins of Maldon flaky sea salt. Vintage silver dishes were also filled with individual servings of Liquid IV and Lactaid for guests to grab as needed.
Ending the Night With Good Food and a Packed Dance Floor
Once dinner and speeches wrapped up, guests headed to the dance floor while the celebration carried on late into the evening. One of the reception highlights came later in the night when Brindare served sliders and truffle fries, a welcome snack after hours of dancing.
Ailyn and Jonathan spent months thinking about how they wanted guests to experience the weekend. That’s what inspired everything from the smaller guest list and welcome dinner to the transportation, thoughtful favors, and focus on food. By the end of the night, they had exactly what they were hoping for: a celebration where people felt welcomed, well cared for, and genuinely connected to one another.
Annie and Rishi met through mutual friends during a night out in Brooklyn. Years later, they found themselves planning a wedding weekend that would bring together Punjabi and Jewish traditions, family history, and guests traveling from New York, San Francisco, and beyond.
They knew from the beginning that they wanted more than a single-day celebration. Their vision was a luxury destination wedding weekend where every event felt distinct while still reflecting who they are as a couple. After choosing NIZUC Resort & Spa, they began designing three days of celebrations that blended vibrant cultural traditions, meaningful family moments, and plenty of opportunities for everyone to connect.
What We Love About This NIZUC Resort & Spa Wedding:
The surprise performances that turned the Sangeet into an unforgettable kickoff celebration
Annie changing into her mother’s wedding dress for the reception
The chuppah featuring Annie’s late father’s tallit
The sunset jet ski portraits on the beach
The live saxophonist and CO2 guns that kept the dance floor packed all night
Starting With a Celebration That Brought Everyone Together
The weekend began with an Indian Sangeet that immediately set the tone. Friends and family surprised the couple with performances throughout the evening, creating a celebration that felt personal from the very beginning. Between the music, dancing, speeches, and incredible food, guests from different parts of Annie and Rishi’s lives quickly found themselves celebrating together. The night ended with fireworks over the water, giving everyone a memorable start to the festivities ahead.
Planning a Weekend With More Than One Main Event
Once they secured NIZUC Resort & Spa, Annie and Rishi began thinking about the wedding less as one event and more as a collection of experiences. “We worked with Mango Weddings as our planner. Once we chose NIZUC Resort & Spa as the venue, we started thinking about how we wanted each event to feel. We pulled inspiration from everywhere and created a vision deck for the weekend, then built in the big pieces like food, music, rentals, and decor down to the smaller personal details that made it feel like us.”
Their goal was for each celebration to have its own atmosphere while still feeling connected to the larger weekend. Some events leaned into colorful Punjabi traditions, while others embraced a more refined resort-formal style. Throughout it all, they focused on creating a celebration that felt welcoming, personal, and fun for their guests.
Blending Two Cultures Together
Because the wedding combined Indian and Jewish customs across multiple days, choosing the right vendor team was one of the couple’s biggest priorities.
“Because our wedding blended Indian and Jewish traditions across multiple days, finding the right team was incredibly important to us. We looked for vendors who not only had experience with destination and multicultural weddings, but who also felt collaborative, creative, and genuinely excited about our vision.”
That same care extended to the ceremonies themselves. During the Indian ceremony, family members actively participated in traditions and rituals that connected both families to the celebration. The Jewish ceremony included several meaningful heirlooms and family touches. Annie’s late father’s tallit was woven into the chuppah, while the Kiddush cup from her Bat Mitzvah became part of the ceremony as well. Their personal vows added another layer of emotion, creating one of the most memorable moments of the entire weekend.
Letting Wedding Fashion Tell Different Stories
For the Indian events, Annie embraced bold colors, embellishments, and traditional attire. Shopping for many of the outfits alongside her mother-in-law became one of the most meaningful parts of the planning process. “I went shopping for many of the Indian outfits with my mother-in-law, who played such a huge role in the planning process and helped guide us through so many meaningful traditions and style choices.”
For the Jewish ceremony and reception, the couple shifted to a resort-formal dress code that felt elegant while still fitting the tropical setting. Annie found her gown through Mexican designer Nadia Manjarrez. “I also fell in love with Nadia Manjarrez because she’s a Mexican designer, which felt especially fitting for our wedding in Mexico. The moment I tried on the Paulina floral dress at Kleinfeld Bridal, I immediately knew it was the perfect dress.” She also encouraged her bridesmaids to choose dresses that felt true to their own style, asking them to stay within a palette of green, blue, yellow, and gold tones.
One of the biggest surprises came later in the evening when Annie changed into her mother’s wedding dress from her wedding 32 years earlier. “The moment she saw me in it was unforgettable—her reaction was priceless. It made it even more fun that the dress was this amazing, sexy, beaded 90s gown that still felt stylish today.”
Adding Details Guests Would Discover Throughout the Weekend
Some of the most memorable details weren’t the largest ones. The couple named signature drinks after their hometowns: “The Fremont” and “The Murray Hill.” During the reception, they also served Honey Deuces inspired by the signature cocktail at the US Open, a tournament they attend together every year.
Custom “Bar Bhatia” matchboxes paid tribute to their favorite restaurant in Brooklyn, Bar Blondeau. Reception place card holders were shaped like elephants as a nod to Indian traditions, while embroidered linen napkins featuring their initials added another personal touch. Guests kept discovering little references to Annie and Rishi’s story throughout the weekend.
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Finding Ways to Bring Everyone Into the Celebration
Once the reception started, the energy never really slowed down. Their DJ understood exactly what kind of atmosphere they wanted and kept guests dancing throughout the night. A live saxophone player performed alongside the music, adding another layer of excitement to the party.
Then came one final surprise. “Our lighting and sound team brought out CO2 guns during the dancing. Everyone went crazy for them.” The reaction was immediate, turning an already packed dance floor into one of the most talked-about moments of the evening.
While the celebrations spanned multiple days, family was never far from the center of the weekend. Parents, relatives, and friends played active roles throughout the ceremonies and celebrations, while heirlooms and traditions passed between generations found new life during the festivities. Alongside the music, dancing, and packed dance floor, those moments became some of the memories Annie and Rishi carry with them long after the weekend had ended.
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