I'll confess: My day with Isabel and Leonel started out very stressfully due to unexpected bad traffic at Old San Juan, making me late to a wedding for the first time in the decade. Having never met Isabel and Leonel before, this alone could have ruined our experience, as I take the wedding timeline very seriously and know how important timeliness is for a successful wedding day.

We were stuck in standstill traffic. Knowing I would not make it to El Convento Hotel by car until at least 45 minutes later, I jumped out of the car with my bags, my assistant took the wheel, and I walked my way through Old San Juan. I was very nervous, heart racing, and ready for apologizing a thousand times when I got to Isabel's suite.

Bridal Getting Ready Pictures at Hotel El Convento

But the minute I walked in, oh boy, I got greeted by the sweetest, biggest smile. Not only Isabel looked gorgeous, but she also had such a soothing and calming attitude. Which is weird, because usually, I'm the one doing the calming. We quickly got through the portraits, details, and candids. She looked so gorgeous!

Couple Photos Before The Ceremony

As soon as I finished the bridal portrait session, I went downstairs to meet Leonel. He looked happy, more nervous than Isabel, but ready to start with his big day. They had scheduled a First Look session, and I'm so glad they did because it was one of the favorites of my career.

Their first look session was an amazing moment to witness and capture. The instant they saw each other, their faces lit up with such happiness and beauty. I let them have their intimacy for a few minutes, after which we did a beautiful portrait set in the Hotel, and even ventured out for a few portraits in Old San Juan's architecture.

Destination Wedding at Hotel El Convento

We did a great set in a short period of time, so I used the leftover time before the ceremony to capture the amazing greenery, white and gold decor in the ballroom. Each table setting had even little colorful baldosa tiles, super cute! The ceremony was very emotive. Even for an "outsider" like me, that had only met Isabel and Leonel for the past 4 hours, it wasn't possible to deny the chemistry and love that they had towards each other.

The party started on a high note: Yuvi Plena came in early in the reception to kick off the party. Afterward, Joel Big J started his amazing music set, and the dancefloor was never empty again.

Huge shoutout to the newlyweds: from the instant I arrived, their charisma, happy disposition, and overall positivity totally made possible many beautiful portraits and candids! Hope you live every day of your married lives with the same energy and grace you had on your wedding day.

xo,

Cami