the details

Location: Cabo San Lucas, México

Package Purchased: Custom Package – International Coverage

Hours of Coverage: 17 hours across 3 days

Final Deliverables: 1500+ photos and videos, Instagram takeover, 10 edited videos

Favorite Memory: Waking up each morning to coffee & breakfast in bed while editing content from the night before!

travel

As a wedding content creator, there is nothing I love more than getting to shoot a destination wedding. This June, John Michael (PWL COO, second-shooter extraordinaire, and my dear husband ) and I had the opportunity to shoot a multi-day destination celebration in Cabo San Lucas. I’ve been bringing JM to shoot more weddings with me, and he is increasingly becoming more and more involved in the day-to-day PWL experience. He also is fluent in Spanish– so naturally he was the best companion I could think of for the trip to México! His language skills also came in handy working with the rest of the vendor team, too.

Wedding content creation at a destination wedding looks quite different from shooting my typical wedding stateside. The week started by us flying to México directly from London, where we saw the real Queen (Beyoncé) in concert. To sum that portion of our trip up, we’ll never be over standing in the pit sining Love On Top! The travel logistics were a bit complicated – honestly the longest day of my life. But, we’d do it again in a heartbeat to experience something as special and one-of-a-kind like Alina and Neema’s wedding!

beachfront wedding paradise

All of the weekend events took place at the Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach, which is where the couple, bridal party, family and guests all stayed for the weekend.

Here’s what I love about an all-inclusive for your destination wedding: It decomplicates all of the logistics surrounding your wedding events. We didn’t have to shuttle & arrange transportation. There were no day-of trips to pharmacies or restaurants or bars or clubs. Everything you needed you could find on site at the resort. When you’re planning your destination wedding, you simply can’t undervalue how important it is to give guests a home base to operate from.

It also didn’t hurt that the backdrop for the events & photos was perfect. One of the main challenges for a wedding content creator is working around the limitations of the iPhone camera. It’s so much easier when the lighting and scenery is so perfect! This always translates to better content delivered to the couple. And something to definitely keep in mind if you’re on the fence about a destination wedding!

an ‘event-full’ weekend

Alina and Neema are based on the West Coast and many of their friends and family made the trek to Cabo to celebrate. They were so intentional about creating a slate of events across three days that made guests feel involved in their love story. It’s tough to thread the scheduling needle without overwhelming your guests with programming. But Alina and Neema did a great job striking the right balance!

The first day was all family-focused. A casual dinner at a beautiful beachfront restaurant was a chance for family to get together and enjoy each other’s company.

Creating content at a destination wedding requires a different level of preparation than a wedding here in the US. And not just because I have to break out my passport! I make sure to arrive a day or two early to scout the location, meet with the couple and wedding planner, and get familiar with the venue, layout and event logistics. This allowed us to plan our shots and ensure we capture everything the couple wanted and more!

By the time their wedding rolled around, Alina and I had worked together for more than 6 months. I really focus on building relationships with my couples so that it truly feels like I’m watching a friend get married. I’m one of the people you spend the most time with at your wedding, and it’s important to me to make sure you feel like you have a not just someone there to capture your memories, but a friend with you on your wedding day!

laur’s tip for couples

pool day & welcome bonfire

It wouldn’t be a destination wedding in Cabo without a pool day at the swim-up bar. Day Two was all about Alina and Neema celebrating their friends. Nearly half of their guests were actually friends from childhood. We were there to take shots of the couple…taking shots. You could feel the anticipation building for the next day!

That evening, everyone dressed in white for a beach bonfire under the full moon. The backdrop was picturesque–since this part of Cabo faces west over the Pacific, the sun sets directly over the ocean. The resort team had carved benches into the sand on the beach. Most of the action was around the fire roastin, marshmallows, swapping stories and relaxing before the fun and excitement of the wedding day.

wedding day

One of the things that people don’t think about with wedding content creation at a destination wedding, is that I typically bring a second shooter with me to weddings. I’m also typically one of the first vendors on site. I accompany the couple at the start of the day and I’m one of the last vendors to leave at the end. I have zipped Brides into wedding dresses, hemmed Grooms pants before walking down the aisle, saved couples from uncomfy conversations – you name it, and I promise you I have done it! The benefit of bringing JM as my second shooter is that we can divide and conquer throughout the day. While I am with one member of the couple getting married, JM is with their partner. While I shoot portraits, he captures cocktail hour, and the list goes on.

We capture even more, and a more complete picture of your day, together!

Laur’s tip for couples:

Because truly, there are so many moments that take place during the course of your day. All I need as your wedding content creator is a moment. From that moment I can create a beautiful vignette and stitch together a story for you in the form of short-form video.

For Alina and Neema, that meant that I accompanied Alina and her bridesmaids while John Michael was there with Neema and his groomsmen. While glam got Alina and her team ready, the guys – all friends from childhood – were reminiscing over their high school yearbook. There were tons of stories and candid moments that JM was there to capture.

We pulled everyone together for portraits and again, y’all – I cannot say enough how spectacular the views were.

fireworks & the pool jump

It was essential to Alina and Neema that we capture their wedding through the eyes of their guests.

For the reception, this meant we were on the seating chart and actually sitting at a table with their guests, and even ended up on the dance floor with them!

JM is a great wedding date–he can make friends with anyone, dance, speaks three languages–he’s my Renaissance man and the best second shooter to have at a wedding!

That said, not every couple feels the same way. Many prefer for us to play the part of a more traditional vendor, dressed in black, and working our way through the behind the scenes. I would say our weddings are pretty 50/50 – but we do tend to end up on the dance floor at 100% of them!

Laur’s tip for couples:

There were a few moments where the details really stood out. There were several “wow moments,” including every wedding’s dream–fireworks! And instead of a sparkler exit, we filmed a pool jump at the end. As the Groom (and the guests who jumped in) were drying off they all said it was a moment and a wedding finale they’d never forget.

Being a destination wedding content creator is always a unique experience, and it demands preparation and hard work across multiple days of shooting. However, and I say this from the heart, the hard work is always worth it 10x. Our time in Cabo San Lucas was unforgettable, and we were honored to capture the love and excitement behind the scenes of Alina and Neema’s wedding!

words from the couple

Here’s what Alina had to say about working with me for their destination wedding in Cabo!