Today’s Real Wedding looks like it was a rockin’ good time and makes us wish we had been there for all the excitement! Spectacularly photographed by Ben Chrisman and Erin Reed of Ben Chrisman Photography, this destination wedding, in Todos Santos, a dazzling beach locale in Baja, Mexico, was a fun-filled, sentimental getaway for the gorgeous Jean and Michael and their closest family and friends.
The goals: Jean and Michael wanted a wedding that was a true reflection of their personalities and above all, fun for their guests. Not into the idea of a big event, they chose a small destination wedding in Todas Santos, Baja, Mexico. With just fifty guests, they were able to have the intimate and special day that they had dreamed of, and there was ample time and opportunity for forming new friendships, bonding with loved ones and of course, plenty-o-fun!
The look: With such a gorgeous beach view as their backdrop, there wasn’t need for much decoration. Jean chose colors for the wedding that were inspired by Todos Santos – blue for the sky, green for the lush foliage and white for the long sandy beaches. She also included pink and orange in her wedding color palette for their fun and festive feel, and incorporated them into every detail from the flowers and invitations, to the favors for the guests – a pretty package of pomegranate and orange-sherbet jellybeans wrapped in blue boxes with orange bows.
The bride’s wedding dress was a stunning creation by Carolina Herrera, and the bridesmaids were able to choose their own black and white bridesmaids’ dresses. Each one wore a custom-made necklace, designed by the groom’s sister for The Jewelers of Las Vegas, to match the bow on Jean’s gown. The groom and groomsmen were perfectly beach-casual in tan pants and ivory shirts.
The moments: In a sentimental and humorous ceremony, the most romantic moment for the bride and groom was reciting their vows, which they wrote themselves. Another special moment for the couple was their first dance to “Stay With You” by John Legend, chosen for its timeliness. Says Jean, “we began dating around the time the album came out, and every song on it related to our relationship in some way”. The couple agrees that the entire wedding get-away was filled with moments they will always treasure, because they were able to have their families and close friends with them for those full four days.
The details: Jean and Michael filled their wedding day with many funny and touching details that helped them complete their vision of a fun-filled destination wedding. Each groomsman received a flask before the ceremony engraved with the the couple’s names, the date, and the quote “Another One Bites the Dust”. As for Jean, her “something old” was a ring made from a Greek coin with the goddess of hearth and debauchery on it, given to her by her mother. The bottom of Jean’s shoes were appliqued with blue rhinestones saying, “I Do”, and her jewelry and hair comb were new presents from her soon-to-be hubby.
Everyone danced and celebrated long into the night, creating the magical good time, full of love and laughter, that the couple had been hoping for. You can see the energy bursting from the party pictures below, which are like none we’ve ever seen before. Great job to photographers Ben Chrisman and Erin Reed for capturing all the fun!
The pros: To learn about all of the wedding professionals who helped make this wedding a reality please visit our Real Weddings Section.
Thank you for sharing your wedding day with us Jean and Michael! We are totally inspired by your joy!
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Oh my….sexy time on the dance floor. Looks like it was a lot of fun! Fun post.
Fun Post! Intimate, small weddings are the best! This couple will have great memories!!
crazy, amazing photos! This photographer is brilliant.
A Carolina Herrera gown, a stunning beach as a location, and lovely looking couples, and wonderful photos. This is a perfect wedding for me. I really can’t stop scrolling up and down to see the photos.
Wow! What a fantastic wedding captured just wonderfully. You can feel the emotion, love, romance and fun in these photos. WOW!
The lighting in these photos is so dramatic. I’m going to talk about how fabulous this is to my wedding forum friends. Thank you so much for your inspiration.
Can you explain the gorgeous shot of the sunset with the couple in the doorway? Photoshopped, or a reflection? Either way it’s stunning.
These photographs are amazing. I tip my hat to the photographer for capturing such wonderful moments!
wedding nouveau – the reflection doorway shot is not Photoshopped in any way. That is exactly how it looked – shooting into the house (which has a huge glass wall and then the door is actually the home’s front door with the couple inside. We just got luck with the pretty sunset. Thanks! :-) ben
Wow, a beach wedding is so totally romantic! Blue skies, white sand and the breathtaking view of the beach. The couple look great together, the groom with his dashing suit and the blushing bride with her stunning wedding gown!Congratulations to you both!!!
this is one of the funnest and most beautifully shot weddings ive ever seen
beautiful images.
love these so much
Is it ok to marry the same wonderful man every five years or so and have a big party each time? :-) I want to go back to Mexico!!!
I like those pictures.
I’m getting married in Todos in May. Any suggestions on hair and make-up?