Between the beloved resort towns of Cancun and Playa del Carmen lies a paradise so indisputable that the town itself is named for it: Playa Paraiso. On the white, sandy beaches of the Riviera Maya, the Iberostar Paraiso Lindo draws visitors from all over the world, especially couples seeking the perfect location for a destination wedding, and Rene and Zach was just such a pair of beautiful souls who chose to say, “I do,” in paradise.
This Iberostar Paraiso Lindo Wedding had it all: from the personalized navy blue robes to the pictures hanging from Rene’s bouquet, every tiny detail of this wedding day was treated with love and care. And, man, was this ever a group of family and friends who knew how to have a good time! Before the wedding, Rene chose not to have a first look with Zach, preferring to save that special moment for the wedding. Instead, she had a first look with her closest family members and friends, who cheered uproariously when she entered the room. They all even did a shot together before heading over to the ceremony!
Zach planned a surprise trip to Napa, California for himself and Rene. We love wine so it was very fitting as we had never been there before. On the morning of the proposal, Zach wore a navy suit (Rene’s favorite outfit to see Zach in) and he told her to dress nice. Rene was of course on edge, freaking out and onto every clue she could because Rene ALWAYS is in control needs to know everything haha! We ended up at Silver Oak Winery, did a group tour. Then the hostess escorted us to this private terrace that over looked the winery. It was a majestic sunny beautiful day this day. But Rene got nervous that something was going to happen so she walked into the room next to the terrace where there were stunning black and white photographs of the employees of winery harvesting grapes. As she was looking at the photos, Zach quickly got down on one knee and proposed. Rene was speechless.. so speechless that Zach had to say “usually people say yes or no here..” Rene of course said Yes! But.. was in utter shock for a while! Eventually, she calmed down, we celebrated and enjoyed some wine looking over the winery on the terrace. It was as imperfectly perfect as it could have been.
Escorted by both of her parents down a chapel aisle lined with the most beautiful greenery, Rene, in her sophisticated gown and heart-stopping tulle and lace veil, absolutely glowed, and her groom was all smiles.
Under a canopy of twinkle lights, the festivities carried on well into the night, and celebration was added on top of celebration when, after the bride and groom’s first dance, they invited a bridesmaid and groomsman, out to the floor for a special dance of their own. Nienke, who had recently beaten cancer, swayed in the arms of her husband to the song “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran, and there wasn’t a dry eye in sight…including mine!
We cannot recommend working with Monica Lopez Photography enough! Her professionalism was clear from our first exchange of emails. Planning a destination wedding can be a stressful endeavor, and we sincerely appreciate that Monica helped make this part of the planning process smooth and easy.
Rene & Zach
Monica Lopez Photography turned around our wedding photos very quickly. We were so excited to review each photo and share with all of our loved ones. We’ve only heard lovely feedback from all of our family and friends!
I am so thrilled I had the opportunity to photograph this special Iberostar Paraiso Lindo Wedding and am pleased to share some of the best images of the day with you below!