I Was in My Best Friend's Wedding in Cabo San Lucas

In late 2020, some of our best friends got engaged. My boyfriend and I were lucky enough to capture the proposal on Mission Beach and the planning began. This wedding was different for me because I was honored to be a part of the bridal party rather than capturing the special day from behind my camera.

While we were in Cabo San Lucas at the most beautiful hotel, I got thinking about all of the small details of a wedding that I now know (or have a decent idea of) because of my occupation as a photographer (weddings and otherwise) based in Phoenix, AZ. Below, join me as I give a brief recap of this absolutely stunning wedding day and share a few pointers you may want to keep in mind as a future bride, bridal party member, or wedding photographer.

The Day FLIES By

This one is very obvious, but the day seems to slip through your fingers. All bridesmaids were given a 9:30am call time and after hair and makeup arrived and got setup and breakfast was enjoyed, it was 11:30am. Photographers were arriving between 2 and 2:30pm in our getting ready suite to capture the scheduled getting ready photos. All bridesmaids were in their robes for this set of photos and then we quickly changed into our bridesmaid dresses for a wedding dress reveal.

Here's where tip number 2 comes in.

Steam Your Bridesmaid Dress the Evening Before the Wedding

Just trust me on this. Because the day goes by so quickly, the last thing you want to be doing is steaming your dress with the time you could be using the do your hair and makeup or simply making memories with the bride and other fellow bridesmaids. Many hotels and venues are able to provide a steamer and if not, there are great options on Amazon and even Costco. Amazon does offer options great for travel and destination weddings.

Explain the Schedule & Festivities with Plenty of Signage

The bride (one of my best friends) absolutely destroyed this. She and her now husband tied the knot at Nobu Los Cabos in Cabo San Lucas, so their wedding invite looked like a little passport. In addition to the detailed invite was an accompanying Zola website which made it easy for guests to find information, RSVP instructions, and a wedding registry.

Once guests arrived at Nobu, they were greeted with a welcome invitation from the bride and groom. Throughout the rehearsal day and the wedding day, there was plenty of signage including meal menus, a beautiful "Take a Shot & Take a Seat" wall, and other small details which made it easy for guests to navigate the wedding festivities with ease. My favorite was either the "Take a Shot & Take a Seat" wall or the welcome signage. Both felt like they customized our entire experience.

Create a Shared Photo Album

Before anyone left for the wedding, the bride and I discussed a way for photos from the wedding to be collected in one place for everyone to look back on - but especially the bride and groom. Although there were some amazing options, we ultimately decided on a shared iPhone album. Everyone in the bridal party and their significant others were added to this shared album and photos were added here throughout the entire trip. Rehearsal? Captured. Rehearsal dinner? Captured from 20+ different angles. Getting ready photos? There's a million of them. Reception photos? At least 100,000. Okay, I exaggerated. Maybe only a few hundred. The after party in downtown Cabo? Documented for all to see whether you attended each event or not.

The best part is this album can be enjoyed by the bride and the groom long after their wedding while they wait for their professional photos to be returned. As a wedding photographer, I know there is nothing worse than knowing a bride is patiently waiting on the return of her beautiful wedding photos, but with a shared album created by friends and family, the happy couple can recap their day by enjoying photos captured by some of their very best friends.

Exist in the Moment

With a professional photographer or two onsite for your special day, take a deep breath and enjoy the moment. You've planned as much as you possibly could, so sit back and take it all in. At the end of the day, you'll be married to your best friend.

At this Cabo wedding, the bride and the groom wrote a brief mention about wanting to take a moment to remember that exact moment. Once they got down the aisle, they joined hands, and the officiant reminded them to take a moment and look at those who were joining them on their special day. Then, they returned to look at one another. It honestly felt like time stopped for each and every one of us in attendance.

At the end of the day, this day is your own. You are allowed to make it be whatever you think best suits you and your partner. Make each and every memory. Enjoy each moment. Allow yourself to have fun. Smile big and cherish each and every guest in attendance. This day is a once in a lifetime day of your life. Enjoy each and every moment and enjoy it fully.

This wedding will always stand out to me for a variety of reasons. I am honored to have been invited and even more honored to have stood by the bride and groom on their most special day. The venue was breathtaking, the hospitality was superb, the memories will never be forgotten, and the day will truly go down in history. I know many toss around the phrase of a "core memory" fairly often nowadays, but this entire wedding and related festivities were a collection of core memories I hope I never forget.

Jason and Kristine, I love you both SO incredibly much. Thank you for inviting Luis and I to your most special day. Cheers to many more memories together.

(Fun fact: I drafted this a YEAR ago and just found it in my drafts, so we're posting NOW.)