When Nabila and David first asked me to shoot their destination wedding in Rivera Mya, Mexico, I was excited.   But the a certain flu issue changed fate, and the wedding was moved to Jamaica. With  Iberostar Resorts in both Mexico and Jamaica, the change of venue wasn’t as bad as it may seem.  This gave the wedding additional meaning to me because half of my family is from Jamaica, and it’s been 18 years since my last visit.  It took me a while to realize that the one unpaved road that use to leave the airport in MoBay is now a dual direction 3 lane highway.  The last time I traveled that route, the one car rule applied.  (Room for one car in any direction)

With and “Awesome” couple, great family,(my family now),  two mornings with “Saltfish and Ackee” for breakfast, and a fantastic event coordinator (Nicole), this wedding was truly a blessing.  It’s ignited my urge to return to Jamaica soon, and on my own terms.

Thank You Nabila and David for sharing part of you life, and you family with me.  And a special “THANKS” to David’s mom for the BBQ.  An ocean view, cool breeze, nice music, a serious plate of food, and a Red Stripe Beer.  Life doesn’t get much better!   OMG, What am I doing here?

Enjoy some of my favorite images!

For more than a while now, I’ve been thinking about why people make the choices they make when it pertains to their wedding day. I’m talking about a day that is to many the most important, and intimate day of a couple’s life together. Why do you choose the venues you do, the shoes that you wear? Are you being yourself, or what you’re expected to be? A few months ago I showed a couple an image taken by one of my West Cost peers. All of the groomsmen were wearing Adidas sneakers, with their linen pants and shirts. The Groom got super excited and asked his Bride, “What do you think.” She “happily agreed, as long as the men wore Nike” Even though I didn’t book their special day, I really hope they go through with it. The excitement he expressed tells me that adjustment will make that day even more personal and special than they originally hoped it would be.

Now I’m not saying I have an issue with “traditional” choices. I”m just saying make sure you’re doing it because it’s what you really want to do, because it will make you happy, because it’s you. If the groom loves the color blue, but has violent, “Exorcist” head spinning seizures at the slightest thought of wearing black, “DON’T WEAR BLACK” Rock a nice blue suit.

Every now and then I’m going to post something about this matter. And today I’m starting with “Wedding Dresses.” While running around on Facebook I came across a post by one of my friends “Ulysses Ashton” If you don’t mind reading a little more, you should click on his name and check it out. It was actually his post that inspired me to begin this mission.

And I’ll end this post by quoting my friend Gene Higa,

“DARE TO BE DIFFERENT”