This entire time I had never met Sari & Daniel. We had exchanged countless emails, handwritten postcards from travels, and phone calls with anticipation in our voice. Slowly building and nurturing a connection that would bring us to the moment we would meet in person. At last, that day had arrived. With directions in hand, I travelled to the center of the Yucatan by plane and car to meet the couple for the first time. They were beautiful. When our eyes finally met, We intuitively dashed towards each other with jitters in our hearts and embraced one another in a burst of excitement and joy.

Sari and Daniel and their family welcomed me as if we had always known each other. “Have you met my friend Galaxie?” is how Sari introduced me all weekend. With fresh inspiration in my heart, I went on exploring the exotic setting, discovering the beach, and planning all the portraits around The Grand Hyatt in Playa del Carmen. I was in awe of the architecture, built in reverence to the sea with respect and admiration to the mayan culture.

But on the wedding day, the mayan gods had their own plans and the timeline completely drowned due to heavy storms. Most couples would’ve been discouraged, upset and somber, but the sudden turn in weather didn’t waver the spirit of the couple. Sari, in her dress soaked in tropical rainwater was a constant beauty in her movement and generosity of energy. And Daniel with the biggest heart and a smile that feels like home, seemed like a beam of light piercing through the grey clouds.

Among the rain-speckled guests, Daniel’s mother Marge, was a beacon of positivity, constantly moving onward, discretely providing solutions to the unpredictable weather, bringing everyone together with an aura of warmth and hope, and inspiring me to creatively rise above all of it.

By the time we parted ways at the end of the night, I was a part of the family.
I will always remember this wedding, and sari & daniel, whose physical beauty is a sheer match to their inner beauty.