SHUTTING DOWN MAIN STREET IN PUERTO VALLARTA!

Welcome to Puerto Vallarta Mexico! The destination where Joe and Silvia got married!

This had to be the hardest shot we have ever tried to get. Joe and Silvia got married at Parroquia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe church. It was right in the middle of downtown Puerto Vallarta. Puerto Vallarta is crazy busy with people, buses, taxis, and a lot of traffic. The driving is pretty dangerous. Everyone drives fast and cuts each other off down the narrow, cobblestone roads. And yes, Neal wanted Joe and Silvia in the busiest street! Main street at 4:45pm on a busy Saturday afternoon. Not only did he want the Bride and Groom in middle of the street but he wanted the vintage taxi cab that they had rented to park diagonally and block traffic! 

Why this location? The day before the wedding while we were on our way to shoot the rehearsal Neal saw this street. It was the only street in the city where there was a canopy of tree's and beautiful light came in from the side street. The tree canopy helps frame the image as well as adding texture. Knowing that we were going to shoot at this location it helped Neal come up with an idea of what exactly he wanted to do so he was prepared to communicate with everyone on the day of.

Immediately after the ceremony we walked "one block down and two blocks over" - that's how we remembered where this street was. We showed Joe and Silvia the pose on the side of the road, so they knew exactly what to do when they got to the street. During this time, a bus cut the corner and almost hit Joe and Silvia! Thank God one of the groomsmen saw it in advance and pushed them out of the way. Wow! Silvia didn't seem surprised or shaken up, she said that drivers don't care! At this point we almost aborted the mission but instead we kept on task and it made everyone a little more aware and careful.

Neal also had to get the taxi to park a certain way across the road too. The driver didn't really understand English either, and we didn't speak much spanish, so Neal had a very difficult time getting his point across to the driver. The driver kept making fun of Neal for speaking "Spanglish" but he tried his best! After a few attempts the driver got the cars position perfect.

Now, looking at the photo, you wonder where all those crazy drivers are? Well, we would never put the couple in harms way. But we sure do it to ourselves! Neal was shooting from down the road, not being able to see cars turning the corner. And I was holding lights in the intersection. With the help of some groomsmen standing in the road to try and slow traffic, this amazing image was captured! It was a true team effort by everyone involved and they all should be proud of their effort to make this image possible.

Neal created a pose for Joe and Silvia and it's stunning. It looks like Joe is trying to lead Silvia in a Spanish dance and it matched the area perfectly. It makes complete sense here as if he's leading her away from the taxi in a romantic kind of way. The way they are looking at each other is just beautiful too! The arch of trees over them is so pretty. I love how some of the locals on the right side are in the background peaking outside of the stores. This image looks so peaceful that you wouldn't think everything around this scene was crazy and chaotic! Everything is just so perfect!

Thank you Silvia and Joe for having us be there to capture your beautiful wedding event in Peurto Vallarta! And another thank you to the wedding party for all of the help!

This is just one great image that Neal got to edit while we were delayed at the airport. Many more to come!

-Danielle

Destination Wedding Photography: Neal Urban Studio

Destination Wedding Ceremony Location: Parroquia de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe

Destination Wedding Photo Location: downtown Puerto Vallarta

Destination Wedding Reception: NOW Amber Resort