Day 9 of our trip

The day of the wedding is here! On day 9 of our trip, the wedding took place at Sun Bay on the beach at sunset. It was a beautiful ceremony, and I teared up during the vows....not good for a wedding photographer but at least I wiped the tears away quick enough to keep on snapping photos.

The bride got ready at a friend's house on the island.




And the groom got ready at the guesthouse the couple stayed in.


The bride then rode in on a horse which showed off her gorgeous wedding gown.


The ceremony had the amazing backdrop of the ocean and the setting sun.


Before the reception we took a few pictures of the newlyweds and group members.



The reception was at El Quenepo and the owner, Kate was a joy to talk with and her food is to die for!

The table setting....


The wedding cake....


The food....



The cutting of the wedding cake....


And the memories from Pam & Ibo's very special day....

Day 6 of our trip

On day 6 of our trip we were gently woken up by the crowing of the neighborhood rooster. Someone did not teach this rooster how to crow properly and instead of sounding like a rooster he sounded like a sick cat. He also continued to crow the entire day...guess he wasn't told that he was suppose to only crow in the morning. In addition, he did not like being photographed, so I pursued him all week to finally get this picture of him.



We decided to head for a walk around Esperanza and get the lay of the land. Granted it doesn't take long to walk around the town, but in blazing heat (we decided to do it mid-day) it seems like walking from San Francisco to New York. However, it was well worth it because we got to see this charming little town.

This is a famous rock that is on one of the streets leading down to the ocean.


A local store where you can buy great Puerto Rician rum.


Off of the Malecon you will see the most gorgeous ocean waters.



There are tons of snorkle, scuba diving, and bio-bay tour places around the island.


Along with some very colorful homes and business.



Unfortunately there are lots of buildings for sale and that have been abandoned. But on the bright side, if you want a tropical get away, you should buy now.



There are these trees that are amazingly beautiful around the island. They can be found in red, yellow, and purple varieties.


And if you want some handmade birdhouses, this street vendor on the Malecon will be more than happy to help you out.


And lastly, my lovely husband bought me a stunning bracelet made of beach glass from Kim's Cabin. Say hi to Peter if you stop by. He makes the most unique pieces of jewelry and you can also pick up some great beach clothes for your island stay.

Day 5 of Trip

As we woke up at the crack of dawn to drive to the Cincinnati airport, we were tired but excited about our trip to Puerto Rico. This trip was to photograph the wedding week of Pam and Ibo who were getting married on an island off of Puerto Rico called Vieques.

The island was beautiful and lush, but before I get ahead of myself let me tell you about our flight from Puerto Rico to Vieques. Below is a picture of the plane that we had to take from the main island of Puerto Rico to Vieques. The plane holds 8 passengers and is not pressurized and is very loud. I love to fly, but this really tested my love of flying.



However small the plane was, we made it to the island and were in a tropical paradise. We stayed at Villa Corals Guesthouse and our hosts were fabulous! It felt like a home away from home. Here are a few pictures of the Guesthouse and the surrounding area.

This is the porch of the Guesthouse where we spent many mornings relaxing and enjoying the breeze.


The Guesthouse also had an upstairs area where you could sit back, relax, and enjoy the views.


This is a view from the upstairs of the Guesthouse looking onto the lush greens of the island and a huge house that sat on top of this hill next to us.


You could also see the ocean from our Guesthouse and take in even more sights.


The clouds made wonderful pictures throughout the week and this is a view from the upstairs of the Guesthouse down the street and across the street.




We also had some guest that liked to sit with us on the porch of the Guesthouse enjoying the sun and breeze as well. This guest's name was Mr. Lizard.


Check back tomorrow for Day 6 of our trip and exploring the town of Esperanza.