I got Gabrielle's inquiry for her Condado Vanderbilt Hotel wedding roughly a year before their big day. Living in Austin, Texas, she mentioned how a destination wedding in Puerto Rico had a special meaning. Exceptional loved ones live here: her grandparents were at the top of that list. As a proud Abuelita's girl, I instantly related to that sentiment.

We connected over a video call and quickly got the date on the books. Being a wedding planner herself, we had some great conversations and questions clients don't usually ask, so I thought it would be great to share these topics here, too.

Backup tips for your wedding photos

I don't actively delete client galleries, but you should make backups of your wedding images as a newlywed couple. Cloud data loss is rare. Still, a photographer can only guarantee these off-site servers will work perfectly for a while.

My plan for my upcoming wedding photos will be to purchase at least three solid-state hard drives, keep one at home, and give the other two to our parents (his and mine) for safekeeping. Also, I'd upload to the same cloud service I use for my clients or recommend at least a Dropbox/google drive. You could also purchase several SD memory cards, which are very durable.

How many photos do I usually deliver for weddings?

The final image count varies for every event. I deliver everything with technical and/or emotional quality: portraits, details, candids, and dancing.

I do not hold back any images: the amount delivered depends on how eventful each wedding is and whether the timeline is optimized for photography. 

I'm always happy to help workshop a timeline that allows for great photo opportunities without sacrificing your enjoyment and the guest's experience on the wedding day. 

Gabrielle took me on that timeline workshop offer. I was able to help her select an appropriate ceremony start time that allowed for a proper first look and sunset newlywed portraits.

Getting Ready Photos at OLV and O:live Hotel

Having done all that prep work before the wedding, I could feel the excitement and the trust we'd built toward working together. Finally, the day was here, and I was so happy to start the day off at Craig's suite at the OLV Hotel.

The atmosphere was casual and relaxed; while we waited for the groomsmen to finish getting ready, I took Craig to the balcony for his groom shots.

The day was pretty sunny and warm, but considering we only get two types of summer days in the Caribbean, I welcomed the scorching heat over a stormy day. After his portraits, we took all the guys out for a candid set before departing to Gabrielle's suite.

Several first looks for this wedding

At the O:live Boutique Hotel, the hair and makeup mission was in process when I arrived, so I started gathering all the bridal details. When finished, the bridesmaids did a first look, and we all worked very hard to keep it together as we swooned upon Gabrielle's slick but romantic bridal look. 

After her bridal portraits, we visited the Hotel's rooftop for a first look session and private vow exchange. After their intimate first moment together, we took couple and family portraits before moving on to the main event.

The couple wanted to prioritize newlywed portraits and mingling with guests after the ceremony, so we had all their family and wedding party meet us at one of the Condado Vanderbilt gardens for family portraits before the wedding started. We had our last first look of the day, Gabrielle, with her Welo (grandpa). I immediately imagined myself in her position and started sobbing; so embarrassing! Luckily, I can cry and shoot, so no images were lost during my moment. They hugged, and Welo mentioned how preciosa she looked. He was darn right! 

A Gorgeous, Trendy, Boho-Luxe Destination Wedding in Condado Vanderbilt Hotel 

The jaw-dropping ceremony happened at the oceanfront West Veranda Terrace. After that, we did their newlywed portraits at my favorite Condado Vanderbilt Hotel photo locations. This time, we weren't interested in the indoor halls some couples like, so we seized that sunset lighting outdoors.

Then, we moved indoors to the gorgeous Salon Dorado. This medium-sized ballroom is large enough to fit a party but cozy enough to quickly fill the room with energy, which is precisely what Gabrielle and Craig did the rest of the night as we celebrated the night away.

Thank you for the delightful opportunity of sharing this moment with you. I hope your photos always give you the same warm and fuzzy feelings they give me.

xo,

Cami