Valentin Imperial Maya Beach Wedding

“The most amazing part the wedding day was walking down to the beach and seeing it all set up. All of our friends and family in one spot, so far away from home, to celebrate with us. I was really affected in that moment thinking about the sacrifices that our guests made to be at our wedding— to support and celebrate our love. It was truly a breathtaking feeling seeing everyone seated on the beach with the altar and my future husband awaiting my presence.” – Hannah

“It was an extremely beautiful scene. Each time someone showed up, it reminded me how fortunate Hannah and I were that all these people had made the sacrifices necessary to be there with us.” – Kurt

“We chose to celebrate our marriage at Valentin Imperial Maya after vacationing there, we had just got engaged prior to this vacation. At that time we had no idea where we were going to get married but as we began planning the logistics of our big day we kept coming back to the idea of a destination wedding. Many guests would be traveling anyway, why not go somewhere fun?”

After speaking to our friends, family and others that had had a destination wedding we knew it was the best choice for us. We choose Valentin Imperial Maya because we loved our time there and decided that returning to a place we liked was a much safer idea than trying to select a new location that we had never been to. All in all, the resort was beautiful, the staff was very accommodating and everything worked out perfectly.”

Hannah: “On our wedding day I was most touched with the dance with my mother. She was a single mother that faced many adversities to raise two healthy girls. The distance between Toledo and Baltimore has taken me away from my mother and I know it has taken a toll on her heart. Having her baby daughter over 500 miles away, it has been hard to keep in contact like old times.”

“While my mother was honored to walk me down the beach aisle, I completely surprised her by asking for a dance later that evening at the reception. I chose the song “Landslide” by Stevie Nicks, as a little girl I can remember watching her sing in faded high waisted jeans, a crop top and amazing 80’s hair.”

“My mother welled with tears, and I was afraid I was going to be carrying her during the dance because she was trembling so much. We sang that song together and I knew that I gave my mother a gift she would never forget.” – Hannah

Kurt: “Walking down the sandy aisle with my Mom was very memorable for me. She’s been a support rock for me my whole life; I wouldn’t be where I am without her love and understanding and I credit much of who I am to her kind and generous heart. This was also a surprise to her and she commented to me later that it was one of the best surprises she’s gotten lately. She felt overwhelmed with pride to be able to walk her son down the aisle about to marry a wonderful woman.”

“Another memory was the speech that my Dad gave during the reception dinner. We didn’t have anything planned for him, but he wanted to say a few words about how happy and confident he was in Hannah and my relationship based on the wonderful group of people that were in attendance at the wedding that we could draw from for love and support.”

“My Dad has Parkinson’s Disease and suffers from tremors, lose of motor skills and is generally more dependent on others as he grows older. He has also had prostate cancer, knees replaced and multiple back surgeries; quite an array of unfortunate health obstacles for one person to bare. But he remains one of the most loving and considerate individuals that I know; always looking to give out so much more that he receives.”

“As he stood up in front of the crowd, tremors and involuntary movements very evident, his message was not for his own struggles but focused on the love and happiness that Hannah and I had found and all the wonderful people that were there to support us. In my eyes a selfless act from the man I look up to more than anyone.” – Kurt

“If I had to give any advice to another couple who is planning a destination wedding in Mexico the first is this: Do not stress over the small stuff. Minor details, flowers, jewelry, name cards…. in the end it isn’t worth occupying your mind with when you have so much to celebrate.”

“In Mexico, we did not use any additional vendors other than Del Sol Photography. We took full advantage of the amenities and services offered with our wedding package. We could have went the extra mile and chose a baker, florist and music services but there was no need. Keep it simple and stick with what you got—see a theme here? Don’t sweat the small stuff!”

Hannah: “I didn’t stress the entire time I was down there. Having a relaxed, nonchalant attitude lessens everyone stress, not just yours. Let the staff accommodate you and learn to let go of some of the power that comes with being a bride. I promise, it will all work out.”

“The trip is about you, it’s your time and the resort staff is there to help. Don’t try to make sure everyone is having a good time and that everyone has everything they need, everyone will be fine! They are in a truly amazing place with incredible staff that will take care of everything. Spend your time enjoying the company of those that have come to see you.”

“I will be honest. After deciding to have a destination wedding I was panicking about the photographer. Initially I was concerned with the language barrier, I don’t speak Spanish. How will I ever contact and communicate with a Mexican photographer let alone convey my vision and creative expectations to them? This fear lead me to a search that began with local Baltimore photographers, I began pricing and quotes. I was overwhelmed with the idea of paying for the photographer’s accommodations in addition to the photography services. It was pretty pricey, like three-four times the amount of our actual ceremony pricey. Yikes!”

“On a whim, I did what any educated bride to be does—I Google searched. I am not sure why I was so surprised but the photography industry in the Riviera Maya is not only impressive and competitive but world renowned!”

“I did a lot of cost/services comparison and analysis but my heart was set on one company, Del Sol Photography. Pricing exceeded our budget but after conversation with others we found that perhaps it was our budget that was the issue.”

“I spoke with three couples, all of which had had destination weddings (one in the Florida Key and two in Mexico) and I asked them “if you could go back and change one thing, what would it be?” All of their answers were about the photographer. They wished they had spent more. More on a higher quality photographer and more on services provided. With this in mind, we chose to settle for nothing less than the best and take no compromise: Del Sol Photography.”

An enormous thanks to Hannah and Kurt for taking the time to share such beautiful words and memories of their wedding day with us – muchas gracias chicos!

Destination Wedding Location: Valentin Imperial Maya – Beach

Wedding Reception: Valentin Imperial Maya – Gazebo

Hannah’s incredible flowy wedding dress: Madison James