Noah Hawthorne Photography | San Francisco Wedding Photographer » destination wedding

Mexico Destination Wedding in Cuernavaca

Noah Hawthorne — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:35:26 +0000

Jorge and Lilia’s wedding in Cuernavaca, Mexico was a beautiful event, a huge party, and a ton of fun. Cuernavaca is a small town about 2 hours south of Mexico City, known to have some of “the best weather in the world.” Indeed, I arrived to find the warm-but-not-hot Mediterranean weather waiting for me in the middle of winter, and made my way to the Hotel Camino Real Sumiya- a tennis resort with boutique Japanese architecture and expansive gardens. I joined my wonderful past clients Ian Balam and Lili Rojo who are turning into amazingly talented photographers from La Paz, Mexico to shoot the event together. The ceremony took place at a small and exotic church overlooking the city before heading back to the resort where carpenters had spent days building the dancing and banquet facilities. Stage lighting, a wonderful band, and 700+ rambunctious guests made for a wedding evening unlike anything I’ve ever seen.

Lili’s photo:

Ian’s photo:

Lili and Ian. I can’t wait to see where they will go with their new studio.

Past clients Juliane and Emilio were also there for the event.

Lili’s photo:

Lili’s photo.

Cuernavaca Destination Wedding | Sneak Peak

Noah Hawthorne — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:15:11 +0000

I’m back from Cuernavaca, an enchanting town south of Mexico City. I met with my wonderful Mexican associate photographer (and past client) Ian Balam and his wife Lili for the wedding of Jorge and Lilia. They were married at the Camino Real Sumiya Hotel, a luxurious Japanese garden resort with a huge, stunning, 700 person event. Here’s a teaser- more images coming soon!

Mexico City Destination Wedding

Noah Hawthorne — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 06:59:59 +0000

Juliane and Emilio’s destination wedding in Mexico City was a stylish, full-blown Mexican wedding. We started early in the morning as they got ready at the homes of their parents, then went on to the full Catholic ceremony attended by 300+ guests, and then on to the infamous Mexican wedding reception. Two bands, a dinner, a DJ, desert, second dinner, and on into the early morning again. It was a wonderful, joyous affair full of culture, elegance, and a lot of happiness. The reception took place at the Hacienda de San Isidro in Atizapan, Mexico City.

Getting ready at home, there was so much history all around. Juliana got ready in her own room where she grew up, facing her mirror in this photo with a list of adjectives spelling out the kind of woman that she wanted to become as she grew up in this same place.

Dad and brother help put everything together.

From Juliane’s house. Small details that mean the world, including the cutting boards that each of the siblings made in school and brought home to be proudly displayed by Mom and Dad.

There were so many guests with cameras at this wedding- I’m sure that every angle was covered.

Generations: Juliane’s mom gets her own well deserved congratulations while Grandma checks in with the bride.

Media coverage from all angles. Belive it or not, this little iPhone video user is actually learning from Dad on his left with the real thing.

Juliane and her brothers.

Mexico City Destination Wedding: Sneak Peak

Noah Hawthorne — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:41:54 +0000

I’m almost done with the images from my last wedding in Mexico City, where I joined my friend and fellow photographer Ian Balam to shoot the wedding of Emilio and Juliane this past December. We did a portrait shoot at the old monastary Desierto de los Leones, and then had a spectacular full day wedding the following day, with festivities centered at the Hacienda de San Isidro, in Atizapan (part of Mexico City). Here’s a quick, lighthearted moment I captured from the reception. More to come shortly.

Jen & Josh | The Holly Farm Wedding | Carmel, CA

Noah Hawthorne — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 08:03:29 +0000

Jen and Josh were recently married on the Holly Farm in Carmel. It was a beautiful event full of beautiful and fun-loving people, a gorgeous location. And yes- the photos turned out ok too. See a few of my favorites below. Thanks so much to Nancy Tsai and Sierra Hawthorne for helping me with the photography for this wedding.

The bride’s brother put his skills from band camp to good use, with a very “Love Actually” sendoff after the ceremony. A rather unique compliment to the “All you need is love” being played by the string quartet in the background.

I rarely post details on my blog, but I always take them. It’s great for wedding albums and a way to record the feel of the wedding day. Here’s a try at a collage from various little bits I found around the Holly Farm throughout the day.

A toast from Mom.

And believe it or not, this is my past roommate. Party on Dr. Larry.

Lauren and Ozant | Tensing Pen, Jamaica

Noah Hawthorne — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:14:59 +0000

Destination weddings are a wonderful opportunity to stretch my skills, engage my creativity in a novel setting, and ok, maybe have a little fun too. Lauren and Ozant’s fun-filled international celebration brought me back to the Tensing Pen Resort in Negril, Jamaica. Ozant’s family came in from Turkey, Lauren’s from Toronto, the couple came from Dubai, and friends from the USA, UK, South Africa and more. Heavy storm clouds and a spattering of rain made for some amazing backdrops and easy shooting. Ozant is a photography student in London, prompting me to even take a few frames during the wedding with his Leica M7 rangefinder…a true photojournalist’s dream. Take a look at some of the photos below.

A flash forward to what my own wedding will most likely be like…

Kathryn & Ryan | Yosemite Wedding at the Ahwahnee Hotel

Noah Hawthorne — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:08:32 +0000

Here are a few of the many highlights from Kathryn and Ryan’s wedding at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park. This great couple from New York City came all the way out to California for the celebration. It was fun to see just how excited all of the guests were to be out in Yosemite, with the beautiful fall colors and the imposing natural beauty all around. I would meet guests in before and after the wedding chatting about what hikes they had been on, showing each other photos, and having a wonderful time.

This was simply a spectacular destination wedding location, a great time of year, a perfectly planned wedding, and an amazing couple. I couldn’t have asked for much more. We did have a bit of rain that moved the ceremony indoors, but it made for some great umbrella photos afterwards. The dusky low light and rain for the ceremony and photos afterwards was challenging, but it added a wonderful moody feel to the images. Check out some of my favorites below!

How cute are these?

Kathryn’s brother walking her down the isle.

I’ve been wondering how to work in an umbrella into wedding pictures. I like how this turned out. Rain during the wedding day can be a wonderful thing! It did let up and let us get some other shots a few minutes later though.

I’ve traveled to Yosemite many times, with the Ahwahnee being one of my favorite places to visit while down in the valley. It was great to put the two together for this amazing wedding. Congratulations to Katheryn and Ryan!

Ian & Lili’s Destination Wedding in Paris

Noah Hawthorne — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 05:08:41 +0000

The photos are finally here! Ian a Lili were married in Paris, and it was such a privilege to be a part of their day. Usually when people plan a destination wedding they worry about how all of the details are going to come together, what location they will choose, and a thousand other complications. Weddings in general can be stressful. Depending on the couple, destination weddings can really take their toll. At least that’s what I thought until I met Ian and Lili. They are both incredibly busy professionals who live in La Paz, Mexico. When they decided to get married they wanted just a few things: quality time with family, a low-key day that was completely their own, and great photography. After choosing Paris as their location, the couple found a hotel, and a place for dinner. From there, the planning was mostly over. We arrived a few days before the big event, and set out on long walks around the city, looking for the perfect place for the ceremony.

The Jardin de Serres d’Auteuil fit the bill perfectly. On the wedding day we started at the Hotel Ibis Cambronne, and then took the metro over to the park. An intimate ceremony with 20 family members and a few of their closest friends followed, with everyone nesstled around the couple as they incorporated some of their favorite wedding ceremonies from around the world. After the ceremony we went to the Mexican consulate for a brief civil ceremony, then took to the streets for some photos. After a brief walk we arrived at the Louvre- and took advantage of its surrounding plazas.

We then went on to meet the family for dinner at Le Grande Colbert, a swanky restaurant downtown. After dinner the older crowd went back to bed. Of course there was still a lot of fun to be had. The rest of the party took their photographer through another trip on the subway, and on for a magical walk through the deserted Champs de Mars, with the Eiffel Tower shining brightly above.

I often photograph rather large and elaborate weddings. This wedding was a wonderful reminder of the essence of what a wedding should really be about. Quality time with family, and a day (or week!) of stress-free time to enjoy the transition into married life. My best wishes to Ian and Lili. I wish you both the very best!

Here’s the full slideshow below:

A funny moment between siblings.

Erika and Andrew | Tensing Pen Wedding | Negril, Jamaica

Noah Hawthorne — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:57:21 +0000

Erika and Andrew’s wedding at the Tensing Pen Resort in Negril Jamaica was a wonderful, week-long event. With nearly 80 friends and family in attendance, it seemed as though the whole west end of Negril was there for the party. This destination wedding was full of opportunities for great photos, from shots on the striking cliffs of Negril to the vibrant sunsets over the Caribbean. The photos, and monumental slideshow are below!

Negril, Jamaica

Noah Hawthorne — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 15:25:24 +0000

I’ve arrived (ok, so I arrived a few days ago, but internet has been spotty), and am sitting by the ocean in Negril, getting ready for Erika and Andrew’s wedding at Tensing Pen in a few days. I’m staying at Catcha Falling Star, a nice seaside resort with views over the cliffs that Negril is famous for. The guests have been wonderful, and so far I’ve been as much an honored guest as a photographer.

We’re here though! And I must say that the Jamaican culture is alive and well. I’ve made some great friends, and went out with “Pizzy” who I met at the local Alice’s Restaurant to get familiar will all the best local sites for photos.

Here’s the view from my room at Catcha Falling Star.

Back towards the hotel…

And the ocean side of Catcha Falling Star, with the classic cliffs that Negril is known for…